Learning to Love Again
by Catgirl-of-Bavaria
Summary: Five years after being set free, Haku is able to come to the human world, but at the cost of his memories. He is now living as a human, and is torn between his lack of identity and his strange love for Chihiro...Final Chapter! Sequel coming soon!
1. Prologue: A Blank Slate

-Catgirl-of-Bavaria- : Heh, I'm not even finished with my first Spirited Away fanfic, but still, I had to get this idea down into MS Word The thing I love about Miyazaki-Sensei and this movie in particular is that it's just begging for fanfics to continue it, and there's just so much you can do with it in that sense, as is obvious with all of the fics that have been written, lol. Anyway, I hope this hasn't already been done, or is too cliché, and I hope you enjoy! Reviews are greatly enjoyed, and Flames, well… whatever. –shrugs- I'm tolerant…Just, being nicer is preferable

Disclaimer: No, I don't own Spirited Away or it's characters, otherwise there would be more than just a merely implied romance between Haku and Chihiro. There would've at least been a kiss, dang it!

Prologue—A Blank Slate

Rain pelted the landscapes in sheets of icy water in the realm of Spirits, soaking anything and everything, including a modest cottage in the location of Swamp Bottom.

A figure stood, hazed by the downpour, just beyond the gate to the establishment, not moving, not caring about the endless rain that spattered the dirt below him into a muddy mess.

A blue-green, sleeveless Kimono hugged the young man's form, dripping in rain and hemmed with the mud around him. The boy's hair lay no farther than his shoulders, and shimmered a dark dusty black color. It too was soaked with rain, and his bangs dripped incessantly into his eyes. The boy's almond shaped eyes remained focused on some random point directly in front of him, steely and grayish green. His hands hung slack at his sides, constantly dripping with precipitation that ran down his exposed and sleeveless arms.

"_Don't look back until you've reached the other side of the tunnel,"_ the memory of his younger self crossed through his mind. He was seeing the human girl, Chihiro, off to her parents and the human world.

"_Will we ever see each other again?"_ the ten year old girl had asked him innocently.

"_I'm sure we will."_ He had told her with a small smile.

"_Promise?"_ She smiled back.

"_Promise."_ He had responded, still holding her hand._ "Now go. And don't look back." _He let her hand slip from his as she ran down the stone steps, and across the path of river rocks. She ran all the way to the gateway, and obeyed, not looking back.

Haku's dripping hands clenched into fists.

He hated himself for telling her that, not to look back. He knew, if she looked back before reaching her world, she would surely remember everything, and possibly come back, upsetting the balance of both worlds. He knew, that by not looking back until she'd crossed the barrier, her memory of this world and all that had conspired there would be blocked from her access.

It was the only way to keep things the way they were meant to be. Keeping the humans and spirits on either side of that barrier, keeping the harmony. It was what he had been supposed to do, his duty as a powerful spirit of his world.

What Haku hadn't known, however, was how much he'd later regret sticking to that protocol, how much he'd miss the young human girl called Chihiro Ogino. He wanted to see her, ever since he sensed her presence in the spirit world completely disappear five years before. He missed her dearly, and he was sure.

Haku was sure that he loved the human girl who'd changed his life.

And now she was gone.

"Haku, dear, what are you doing out here?" A kindly voice approached him from behind.

Zeniba, the kinder and more generous of sister spirits was approaching him, quickly gliding through the downpour with a large black umbrella. She had a home-knit shawl wrapped carefully around her, striped in different shades of blue, mingling together in a complicated looking design. Her face was aged with several wrinkles, her grey-white hair pulled neatly into a large bun on her head.

"No-Face told me he saw you out the kitchen window, standing in the rain as if waiting for something." She told him, coming closer in the mud and swinging the shawl off of her shoulders. Behind her, in the doorway to the cottage, stood an inky black creature, expressing his concern with the face on the mask he always wore.

Haku looked up to her, realizing that in his reverie, he'd sank to his knees, drenching his kimono in wet mud. He allowed the shawl to be wrapped around him.

"Come, dear, we'll put another log onto the fire, and get you warmed up." The old spirit told him compassionately. Haku pulled himself to his feet, and allowed himself to follow the woman slowly back into the cottage.

In the five years since he'd come to stay with these spirits, Zeniba and No-face, they'd been nothing short of kind and understanding of his heartache. He'd quit working for Yubaba soon after Chihiro left, and went to the warmest shelter found in the spirit realm.

"Ah," No-face urged Haku to take a warm cup of tea from his delicate looking hands, as Haku sat on a pouf chair near the fireplace. He accepted the tea gratefully, though not really caring about food or drink. No-Face smiled, as best he could, as Haku took a sip of the steaming liquid, and drifted back to the small kitchen to prepare supper.

"Haku, I know what you are experiencing is hard," Zeniba began, slightly uncomfortable, Haku sensed, for whatever reason. "However…"

No-Face's chopping of vegetables ceased from the kitchen across the small den, seemingly expecting something. A small, chubby mouse floated to the top of Haku's chair, being air-lifted by a small black creature with an orange beak. Haku recognized them as Boh, Yubaba's young son, and Yu-bird, Zeniba's visitors for the past week. The mouse gave him a little smile in greeting, accompanied by a small 'Chu.'

"In the last four years, I have been studying greatly the possibilities of sending a spirit into the human world." Zeniba continued, pacing in front of the fire. "As you know, spirits cannot pass through the barrier into the realm of mortals. However, in my studies, I've found something of a loophole."

Haku's eyebrow rose. He knew she'd been spending a lot of time in her study, but he never saw it prudent to come out and ask what it was about. No-Face seemed to be in on it as well, his chopping had resumed, but Haku sensed that the creature's attention was mainly on Zeniba.

"A loophole?" Haku asked. "So that a spirit…like me…could get to the human world without their original entity?" Haku's steel eyes peered through his damp bangs. He knew that without some sort of form, in his case, the Kohaku River that had been destroyed, it would be impossible for a spirit to return to the mortal world.

"Indeed," Zeniba nodded. "Essentially it's a spell that would give you your own, new entity. It's something like a soul conversion." Zeniba explained further, looking at the boy.

"Soul conversion?" Haku repeated curiously.

"Yes, it's powerful and tricky magic, but I have been studying this for years, and I'm confident in my powers." Zeniba continued.

"Wait, so you want to use this magic, on me?" Haku's eyes widened, hardly daring to believe that there was an easy solution to his situation, and that it was suddenly so close.

"Only if you agree." Zeniba smiled kindly. Boh looked at Haku from the river spirit's shoulder, giving him an encouraging little mouse smile. "There are of course, risks, like any other spell. And there are some catches."

"What kind of risks?" Haku asked first, taking another sip of his tea. No-Face had again stopped chopping vegetables, and was now setting a pot of water to boil on the stove. Haku was still sensing No-Face's attentiveness.

"Well, this is a spell involving your very soul, if it goes wrong, it could cause your soul to be lost." Zeniba told him darkly. The room went eerily quiet at those last words. "You would wonder this world, lonely, lost forever and not having anywhere to go. It was unfortunate enough…" Zeniba paused, glancing for a moment to the kitchen and No-Face. "It was unfortunate enough, to have happened to our dear No-Face."

Haku stared at her for a moment. No-Face was the victim of a Soul Conversion gone wrong? He glanced to No-Face as well, and the creature nodded, a sad little smile on his painted face.

"No-Face was, not too long before Chihiro came along, also trying to get back to the mortal world." Zeniba explained, obviously reciting what No-Face had remembered and told her. "He was a new spirit, one that came from the Plane of Death to this world. His entity was once a human, as yours was once a river." Zeniba sank into a rocking chair and conjured up a pair of knitting needles to pass the story along while she knit. "He was new to this place, and he wanted dearly to go back. All he remembers of his life in the human world now is that it was cut short by tragedy in the human world. So upon finding a powerful spirit, they agreed to perform the Soul Conversion spell."

Haku gazed intently at the witch, fascinated to be suddenly finding out so much about such a mysterious creature. No-Face stood now just beyond the kitchen, his gangly black fingers interlaced in front of him, listening absorbedly to Zeniba's citation of his life. He had told her everything he had remembered, everything that came back to him over the years as soon as he discovered her subject of study one day three years before.

"However, something went wrong in the spell, either it wasn't recited right, or the spirit was simply not strong enough, and No-Face's soul became lost, no longer belonging to the mortal or spirit world, just set to wonder." Zeniba's knitting needles clacked together as she continued both her knitting and story telling. "It is quite random, where your soul would turn up. If your soul ends up here in the spirit world, you become a lost being, like our friend No-Face. If you end up in the human world, then you are considered a 'ghost' by humans. Either way, there is no turning back, and you spend eternity as such. It is lucky for No-Face that he found Chihiro, who showed him the first compassion that a lost soul has felt in eons."

"You…mentioned some catches as well?" Haku pressed on, more intrigued than ever.

"Ah yes, the fine print to the spell." Zeniba nodded, her fingers nimbly working the green yarn between her needles. "The spell, upon being successfully completed, has some back draws to it. Say we perform it on you, Haku, and you transform into your own, human entity. You will immediately wake up in the human world, in a setting of my design, as I am the conjurer, and you will begin your life as a human. However, your life in this world will be blocked out of your memory. Much like the spell that blocks this world from Chihiro's memory. You will not remember meeting Chihiro five years ago, nor will you remember your true name."

Haku's eyes sank. He thought in the sound of boiling vegetables and clacking knitting needles. Zeniba and No-Face were both silent, obviously giving the dragon the thinking time that was an obvious need at this point in the discussion.

Haku turned it over and over in his head, weighing the pros and cons. Zeniba would obviously design his human life to be near Chihiro, he knew this already without even asking. In that case, he'd be near her, just unable to remember ever loving her, ever saving her from Yubaba. Then the thought of No-Face crossed his mind, the thought of being miserable for eternity, wondering unknown land and being shunned as a monster like No-Face once was. Still, he had a great amount of trust in the kind witch Zeniba, and he wanted to be with his Chihiro, memory or not.

"Do it." Haku murmured to the stone floor below him. He was hunched over from his trip of thought, and felt Boh's weight on the top of his back. The clacking of both needles and stirring of vegetables ceased.

"Haku, dear, are you certain?" Zeniba gently asked. "Are you sure you don't need extra time to think on it?"

Haku nodded, his shoulder length hair bobbing with his motion. He told her exactly his thoughts about the matter; that he didn't want to live in a world without Chihiro, even if it meant not being able to remember her. He'd rather take the chance of somehow meeting her in the human world than to stay here, beating himself down everyday about telling the girl not to look back.

The group now stood outside in the pouring rain again, No-Face standing by the door, Boh and Yu-bird hovering right next to him. Haku stood facing Zeniba in the middle of the pathway, content with his decision. Zeniba, meanwhile was making her own preparations for the spell, using her book and notes for reference. She drew a circle in the mud around the river spirit, with five triangles placed around the larger shape, and instructed him to not open his eyes for the duration of the spell.

Soon it was all in motion, Zeniba chanting unknown cantations, the line around Haku beginning to glow a light blue color. No-Face watched intently as a whirlwind of air rose from the blue glowing line, sending Haku's hair into wild waving around him as his closed eyes faced the ground. Soon the wind blocked him from view as Zeniba chanted louder and inanely. The whirlwind rose straight to the sky, mingling with the rain clouds and spinning them in time.

The area around Haku was now all in the blue light, the wind seeming to acquire the torrential rain into it's cyclone. Zeniba looked up as she completed the chant, expecting the final step of the process that would signal the spell's success.

A bright bolt of lighting traveled around the whirlwind, forking down into five branches of electricity that all met up with their respective triangles. Haku, unaware of the lightning, only felt wind seem to come up from the ground, and allowed himself to point his closed eyes towards the sky. He felt warmth seem to spread through him from the inside out. It was a very pleasant warmth, but he forlornly sensed the dragon seemingly fly out of him, soaring up into the sky without him. At last, his feet lifted off the ground, and he sensed that whatever ends this was leading to, it was going, now. This was his last moment as Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi the river spirit.

'Thank you,' Haku sent to Zeniba in his mind, knowing the witch would be able to sense it. Meanwhile, Zeniba smiled to herself as the boy rose higher in the column of wind and rain.

'Be safe, Kohaku.' She sent back.

Haku smiled to himself, catching Zeniba's message.

With that, everything for the spirit went dark, his mind becoming a blank slate.

-Catgirl-of-Bavaria- : I decided to use that theory of Chihiro's not looking back causing her to lose memory of the spirit world…It's probably not one of my favorites, as Haku and Chihiro should be together, and her having to forget would just be…well, I guess this prologue kind of addresses my thoughts on that! '

But nonetheless, it'd be probable, I suppose…


	2. The New Boy

-Catgirl-of-Bavaria-: I had lots of fun with this chapter. Little Rin-chan was my favorite, lol. Anyway, Thank you Dante von Hohenheim for the review, and like I said, I love your penname! Mwuahaha, on with the story!

Chapter 1- The New Boy

"Onee-chan! Onee-chan!" A small voice called out, seemingly distant to a brunette head of hair lying in the warmth of an emerald green comforter and emerald green pile of fluffy pillows.

"Nnnnnn…." The lump in the blankets murmured, stirring only a little.

A little girl no more than four years old pouted at the great lump, peering through her long, sienna hair. She grabbed a firm hold of the edge of the bed, her other hand grasping the comforter, and pulled herself with effort to her knees on the very edge of the surface, and began to repetitively push and shake the green lump.

"Chihiro, wake up!" She squeaked, her tiny hands pulling at the blanket that was held tight by the sleeping brunette. "You have to go to school!"

The alarm clock on the table next to the bed agreed, beeping monotonously. The elder's hand flew from the fortress of the blanket to give it a good whack, one practiced and perfected by habit over the years. At the clock's silence, the arm retreated back to the shelter of blankets, and the lump resumed its calm and sleepy breathing.

The little girl pouted again at her sister, and turned carefully around, leaping sloppily off of the side of the bed. She ran out the door and down the hall, coming back moments later with a cup brimming with cold water.

Climbing back to her perch on the edge of the squeaky bed, she grabbed the top of the comforter, and yanked it finally out of the brunette's hands, revealing her older sister, curling up in recoil from the sudden change of light. The young girl nibbled her bottom lip as she raised the cup above the girl's head, and…

"AAAGGHH!" The teenage girl shot up from her covers, her brown hair and her face now drenched in freezing water. "Oh crap, Rin! What was that for!" She yelped, leaping out of bed and wringing her hair out onto the hardwood floor.

"You wouldn't get up, again, so I had to!" The young girl whined, watching as her sister danced, trying to escape her soaked shirt, holding the front of it from her torso. "Mom and dad went to work, and you have to take me to daycare, but you never wake up! You're always so tired, Onee-chan!"

"Yeah, well…" Chihiro mumbled, not knowing how to come up with a comeback to that. It was true, after all, and she had to give her little sister credit. At times the little girl was even more mature than she, even at four years old. She was of course, right about her being sleepy all the time.

"I'm gonna go get dressed, Onee-chan…Don't go back to sleep, or you'll be sorry!" The short girl threatened from the doorway. She then turned with a wave of sienna and disappeared to her own room.

Chihiro pulled her top off over her head, finally away from the wet cloth. Tossing it into her clothes hamper, she took a quick analysis of herself in her full-body mirror. She wasn't all that beautiful, at least in her mind. Just ordinary. Her body had matured since she had moved to this house five years ago. Her form had remained slender, but had at least filled out. She remembered how scrawny she had once been. But still, she thought she just looked like any ordinary girl.

The fifteen year old pulled out her school uniform, and pulled herself into it, tying the sash under the collar into a loose knot. Smoothing out her pleated black school skirt, she found a hair tie in the pocket. Pulling it out, she stared at it for a moment, watching the sunlight bounce off the violet material in glints. She didn't know where she got it for the life of her, but for some reason, she always felt content when looking at it. Sometimes she thought she was crazy for this reason, but she could never throw it away. For some reason, it seemed out of the question.

She began to gather her mid-back length hair into her grasp, and wound the band around her collection of brunette hair. The tie wasn't the only mystery to this girl. Rin, her younger sister, had been born not even a year after she had moved to this town. It was Chihiro who had chosen her name, not knowing where or how she got the name Rin. She'd remembered it just popped into her head when she was in the hospital just after Rin's birth, when her and her parents were searching for a name. She suggested it, and her parents agreed. The name was special to her somehow, but she had no clue why.

"Onee-chan, Rumi-chan's here!" Rin had just popped into the room again, an excited look on her small face. Chihiro finally grabbed her school bag and headed after her ecstatic four year old sister. She smiled, remembering that her best friend from her previous neighborhood had moved in next door just after Rin had been born. They had made a tradition of walking to school together, and lately taking Rin to daycare along the way.

"Hey, Chi, ready to go?" Rumi asked cheerfully from the door. Rin had obviously let her in on her own. Rumi had short, light blonde hair, and dark eyes that gleamed toward Chihiro as she came down the stairs. She had her arm around the young Rin, who was brimming with affection for her second sister.

"Yeah, thanks to this one," Chihiro teased, ruffling her sister's hair as she passed through the door. "Let's get going, before we get detention, Rumi-chan."

---

"So, Chi, where's Taro?" Rumi asked as the two girls entered the school in search of their lockers.

"Hah? How should I know…?" Chihiro retorted. "He's only my boyfriend; I don't have to know where he is all the time…" A blush came to her cheeks.

"I dunno, it's just, usually, he's on you as soon as we walk through those front doors. Just seems strange that he's not showering you with PDA." Her eyes gave a little roll.

Chihiro play-punched her friend in the shoulder as they made it successfully to their classroom without being late, for once. Taro, her boyfriend, was older than she, and thus a grade higher than her and Rumi. She was actually kind of grateful today, she was preoccupied again with a dream that she'd had the previous night, she really wasn't in the mood for making out against her locker during passing period.

Chihiro took her seat just as the bell rang, and the class chattered as they sank into their own seats, waiting for the teacher's arrival. She took out her notebook and pencil, and began immersing herself in her own world, meanwhile doodling on whatever page she opened to. She knew she had strange dreams so often that it was almost a regular occurrence, but every time, she couldn't recall those dreams after she woke.

"Alright, students, take your seats and settle down," She vaguely heard her teacher, Ryumi instruct the class. "Now I have one announcement before we get started today," He continued as the class silenced itself.

Chihiro still stared at the pencil in her hand as it continued to draw a Chinese dragon in the margin of her notes.

"We have a new student starting in our class today," Ryumi said, ignoring the excited whispers that were starting up. "His name is…Hakuno…Uh," He paused, looking his paper over for a surname.

"It's just Hakuno." An elegant and quiet voice said from the door.

"Ah, yes…Hakuno, then…" Ryumi said, scratching his head, confusedly. He set the paper down on his desk and turned back to the new boy. The whispers increased about this new boy, all of them wondering why he had only one name. "Well, I suppose there's that empty desk next to Ogino-san in the back, you can sit there, I'll adjust the seating chart."

Chihiro looked up from her doodling, moving only her eyes at the mention of her name. She saw the new boy, Hakuno, was approaching the empty seat to her left, his sack of supplies slung on his shoulder. Chihiro did a double-take, noticing that he was no ordinary-looking boy.

The schools uniform of a white cotton button-up shirt and black slacks and a black tie well-stated the boy's gentle but masculine form, but somehow, Chihiro saw that something more elegant, like a male's kimono would much better suit him. His hair was a beautiful bluish-green and was angularly cut, just brushing his shoulders as he walked. His straight cut bangs cast his brilliant green eyes in a light shadow, and his skin was clear and pale. His face, while beautiful, was expressionless as he assumed his seat next to the girl. Somehow, she couldn't draw her gaze away from him.

Hakuno sank into his seat, taking out his math book on cue from the teacher up front who resumed his daily lesson. This felt entirely new to him, although at the same time, so routine. He barely even knew who he was, just that his name was plainly 'Hakuno'. He'd just barely sensed the girl that the teacher had called 'Ogino' looking at him. Just turning his eyes to put her into his peripheral vision, he saw that she had indeed been watching him since he sat down, or maybe even before.

He sensed something else from this girl, but he had no idea what. He hardly knew the first thing about himself, and yet he was sensing something, something vaguely memorable from this strange girl.

'How would that be possible?' he scolded himself, turning his attention to the sensei's lecture on squaring numbers. He wrote every problem down on paper from the book, somehow solving it while barely recognizing that he knew how to. Hakuno decided for a while to just immerse himself in the work that was given to him, trying to ignore the Ogino girl and whatever his instincts were telling him about her. He needed to find things out about himself before he moved on to whatever he somehow knew about others.

---

"Hi, Hakuno!" A bright voice said behind the sixteen year old boy in the hallway outside his new classroom.

Hakuno turned to see a smiling girl, her hands holding each other behind her back. She had a light blush spread across her light tan face, and deep, dark eyes beneath a mop of shining blond hair. Hakuno could somehow sense an air of nervousness around her.

"Uh, hi," Hakuno responded shyly. He saw the girl timidly bite her bottom lip, as if in contemplation.

"Um, I was wondering…Do you…" Her blush deepened. "Would you like to come and hang out with me and my friend after school today?"

Hakuno stared at her. She was acting so nervous as if she was asking him on a date…

"It'd kind of be like a double-date, my friend is bringing her boyfriend along, and well, I'd kind of be the third wheel, so if you're not doing anything, I'd be really happy if you'd come…" She suddenly sped up her pace of words, trying to explain everything in one breath. Her blush suddenly deepened, and she added on, "But there's no pressure if you don't want it to be 'date' type of thing…um…" The girl stared at the ground, hiding her increasing blush.

Hakuno still watched the shy girl, part contemplating the offer, part wondering how he had understood the girl, and part thinking how cute she looked, so nervous and flustered.

"What's your name?" He decided to finally ask her, finding his lost smile and putting it on. He cocked his head slightly to better try and see her pink face.

"Rumi…Rumi Namiko." She told him, looking up with a bashful smile.

"Well, Namiko-san, I think I will come along," He told her, eager to get his mind onto other things than his loss of all memory. He saw her face light up, and was immediately pleased with the way the conversation had ended up.

-Catgirl-of-Bavaria- : And now, Haku must face the terrors of…high school. –gasp- Anywho, gotta go get started on the next chapter…Unlike my other story, this one is being completed as I go along…See you guys next update, enjoy the story!


	3. The Couple

-Catgirl-of-Bavaria-: yay, another chapter to my story! First a big thank you and handing out of muffins to my reviewers, Soulfighter, Dante von Hohenheim, Cherribunni and Dark Chocolate Princess, you are all wonderful! (why no more reviewers? ) Second, have faith in Haku and Chi! That's all I will say concerning the more recent reviews. Third, Enjoy my first attempt at an angsty fanfic! R and R, please:D

Chapter 2- The Couple

To the relief of Ryumi-sensei's first year class, the light and cheery bell toned at exactly 2:30, signaling the end of both school, and a rather complex and confusing Physics lecture. Ryumi surrendered his class for the day, allowing them to run out the sliding classroom door as he sat down in his desk chair with a hefty sigh.

Around the new boy, a flood of excited students poured from their desks to the door in a furious hurry. Hakuno still sat, contrastingly calm, and stuffing his old blue backpack with the books and supplies on his desk. He knew he had plans to meet the girl, Rumi out front soon, but he couldn't help his cool and collected demeanor.

He gave the sensei a quick and small bow as he passed, receiving a polite smile and nod from the teacher. He continued out the door, into the flow of eager students, and decided to use this time to find his new locker. Taking his student information sheet from his pocket, Hakuno unfolded the crumpled paper and searched for his locker number, meanwhile fighting the current of teenagers that threatened to carry him away to some unexplored location of the school.

Finally, after minutes of searching, Hakuno approximated that he at least had the right hallway, finding that the little letter before his locker number corresponded with the preceding letters on the lockers around him. After a few more seconds of searching, his gaze was diverted again.

This time he saw the girl called 'Ogino,' only she was with someone this time. With someone, indeed, she was wrapped up in their own little world, kissing each other like they wouldn't see one another for a while. The guy was nearly a foot taller than her, or Hakuno even, for that matter. He had a mop of shiny black hair, tan skin, and a well-toned body. They were leaned against the locker, and Hakuno noticed that the number on his paper would be dangerously close to the couple.

He stood there, in the middle of the hall, amidst all the motion around him, just staring at the two of them. He couldn't place why, but something about this picture just didn't seem right. It didn't fit. It made him almost terrified, almost _jealous_, even. It made no sense to him at all, but something made him want to either scream at the teenage boy that had his arms wrapped possessively around Ogino, or run in the opposite direction and never look back.

'What the Hell?' Snapping out of his brief trance, he shook his head and scolded himself again for feeling so strange about this Ogino girl.

He brought his slack hand to show him the paper and his locker number. He followed the row of lockers to his left, hoping that he would be stopping a safe distance from the couple who remained in their own trance. Counting down the numbers in his head, he approached the couple, trying to shove the image of her and him from his mind.

Finally, he found the locker that matched his sheet of paper, just four away from Ogino and her beau. He now looked at his locker combo, eager to get out of the place as soon as humanly possible.

"06-15-23…" He muttered to himself, trying to engrave it into his brain. He set his fingers onto the dial and began spinning.

His peripheral vision caught the two again, still making out four lockers down.

"Damn…" He cursed as he tugged the metal latch unsuccessfully.

Chihiro, meanwhile, had just noticed his presence next to herself and Taro, looking at him as Taro continued on with his affection, kissing her deeply. She gazed at Hakuno, who looked very disgruntled and even worse once he gave the silver metal another unsuccessful tug. She wondered for a moment whether she should break away from her boyfriend to help, until his spins finally came smooth, calculated, and finally allowed him access to his locker. His profile was now blocked by the grey metal of the door.

She suddenly looked at her watch, and saw that it had been ten minutes since the end of school. She tore herself away to tell Taro so. She actually found herself relieved to be away from Taro's constant affection. Secretively, she actually felt crowded in his embrace once the image of the new boy resumed to haunting her thoughts.

"Taro, we should get going!" She pulled out of the boy's embrace, tugging at his sleeve to follow her. Taro glanced suddenly at Hakuno, who had averted his gaze from his locker to see what the couple looked like when not connected by the mouth.

Hakuno stared nonchalantly in the boy Taro's eyes, not breaking the contact. The boy's eyes were dark, and deep, though not in the same cute and innocent way as Rumi Namiko's eyes. Something told Hakuno that Taro's eyes were only dark and deep to be able to hide something. Suddenly those urges to scream at the young man came back, the urge to get Ogino away from him and his secretive eyes.

Taro was the one to draw his stare away, turning his angular face towards Chihiro and following her, grasping her around the shoulders. They finally disappeared around a corner.

Hakuno felt his stare turn to a glare as he lost sight of the two.

"Why am I feeling all this!" He quietly asked the inside of his locker as he heard the crowd of students begin to empty from the hallway. "I don't know the first thing about this girl…I wouldn't even have known her last name, if Ryumi-sensei hadn't said it!"

He tightly shut his eyes and slammed his fist into the metal next to his locker, a hollow and metallic pang of sound reverbiating through the now empty corridor. His knees started to get weak, and he grasped the grey metal door to hold him up. He felt something small and wet seep from his right eye. Bringing his finger to his cheek, he caught the little bead of a tear and held it up to see.

"I'm…crying?" Hakuno asked the locker in disbelief. "Wha….Why…?"

He used the back of his hand to wipe all the moisture from the corners of his eyes roughly. He frowned and continued to empty out anything from his backpack that he wouldn't need that night at home for homework. Slamming the locker shut behind him with a strong fist, he decided to go and meet Rumi.

"Maybe being with her will make me feel better…" He muttered, remembering the girl's timidity that morning, how cute she looked when she was nervous, her beautiful eyes. Thinking about her outright friendliness to him finally painted a small smile onto his lips.

Maybe being with her would even help him discover forgotten things out about himself, as well as learning about her.

---

Hakuno walked through the double doors of the front entrance, and hiked up his pack to better support his arsenal of books. He looked around, looking for the Namiko girl, ready to find her and get the couple out of his mind. Finally, he saw a glint of blonde, down by the gate of the school. Knowing instantly that it was her, he strolled down he wide steps in front of the double-door entrance.

Rumi, he saw, was chatting avidly to someone who he could not see, for they were blocked by the stone wall that stretched as a fence in the front of the school grounds. The cute blonde suddenly sensed him coming, and turned to face him, waving her arms enthusiastically.

"Hakuno! Over here!" She shouted happily. Hakuno sent a hand up in a wave of his own, signaling he heard her. Even from there, he could see the light pink that spread across her face.

"I'm so glad you could make it, Hakuno-san!" She exclaimed, bowing before him. He smiled gently back.

"Me too," He told her quietly. "Ah, is your friend here, yet?" He asked curiously.

"Oh, yeah, I gotta introduce you guys!" She said, motioning him to follow with a waggle of her fingers while she back stepped through the gate. Hakuno followed, spotting two people behind the wall as he approached. His stomach did an unpleasant somersault or two in his gut.

"This is Taro Fushiyama," Rumi pointed to first the tall black haired boy, leaning with his arms crossed across his chest against the grey stone. "And this is my best friend, Chihiro Ogino." She gave an embrace to her brunette friend who stood not far from Taro. Chihiro smiled at Rumi, but was side-tracked by Hakuno in front of her.

It was the couple. He should have seen that coming, he knew Rumi and Ogino were friends, for all they talked and passed notes in class that day. He should have at least been suspicious when he saw the girl and guy locking lips in the hallway next to his locker.

Hakuno tried his best to smile, politely bowing toward the couple. Taro still glared at him with those deep eyes, recognizing him as the short guy who'd stared at him earlier in the school hallway. He raised an eyebrow as Hakuno rose from his light bow, and came once more into a staring match with the elder boy.

"It's…nice to meet you, Ogino-san, Fushiyama-san." Hakuno told the couple, not looking at Chihiro, and not breaking eye contact with Taro.

"Right, so we were planning to go to the movies, and the arcade, and maybe dinner, depending on how much money we have left over, " Rumi told Hakuno cheerfully, beginning to lead the group down the road.

They all walked, shoulder to shoulder, the girls in the middle and talking excitedly about what movie they wanted to see. Hakuno was next to Rumi, contemplating this concept of a 'double-date.' He'd never been on any type of date, but then, he couldn't remember anything past the previous evening. He tried to ignore the fact that Taro was grasping Chihiro around her waist, and at the same time, wondering why it was such a bother to him. He'd never met her before, had he?

'_Have_ I met her before...?' He found himself stunned, thinking to himself, staring wide-eyed at the paved street in front of him.

"Hakuno?" Rumi asked, turning to look at him. Hakuno realized he'd fallen back with these thoughts, and stood feet behind the group, his knees beginning to shake slightly again as he once more caught sight of Chihiro and Taro.

"I…I'm fine…" He told her before she had even asked what was wrong. He loped ahead to join them. He saw the worried expression on Rumi's face, and smiled, trying his best to cover up his insecurities. "Really, Namiko-san, it's nothing. Let's get to the theater." He tried to make it sound enthusiastic.

The girl was still unconvinced at Hakuno's act, he noticed. He suddenly got an idea, it wasn't one of his best, but it'd at least hold her over.

The boy slipped his left hand into her tender right hand, loosely twining his fingers with hers. She blushed a little, but held no objection in her deep orbs. He smiled weakly at her and began to walk, still holding her small hand.

Chihiro, meanwhile, was watching the little symbol of affection and felt her own stomach do a somersault. As Taro urged her forward with his grip on her slender waist, they continued down the road, Chihiro now just as confused about her own feelings as Hakuno had been about his.

She mentally shook herself out of it, determined to be happy for her friend. For a while now she had been something of a third wheel on these outings, and it was nice to see her having some true fun with someone else to give her attention when she was tied up with the attention that Taro gave her. Hakuno was also her first friend besides Chihiro since Rumi had moved there not four years ago.

Chihiro told herself that Rumi deserved nothing less than a healthy, undivided friendship that Hakuno was able to supply, and she wanted to be set on keeping it like that.

Even so, she couldn't help but feel something for the new boy, even if she didn't have a clue as to what it was or why it was there.


	4. Forging Friendships and Grudges

-Catgirl-of-Bavaria- : This chapter's up a little later than usual, somehow I just haven't gotten to it this weekend with the being shoved off the internet before I get the chance to and other such nonsense. But here it is anyway! Good news, My friend and I have finally beaten the FMA video game that tore me from my work on my stories. The boss was very mean, but we still poked it dead! Yay! It was such a short game, though…only 5 chapters long…ah well.

Disclaimer: I don't own DDR, Air Hockey, or Spirited Away, just thought I'd clarify that. I own a DVD of SA, a cheap glide hockey table thingie, and I would like to buy the DDR video game for PS2, but that's about the extent of my ownage. :P

Chapter 3- Forging Friendships and Grudges

The sky grew cloudy and darkened as the hours progressed, also sending a wave of chilly autumn wind through town, rustling the still green leaves. It was just early enough in the fall to still allow the trees to keep their lush greens, but still gave the land a chill with the periodic bursts of wind.

Outside a theater in the main area of town, a group of friends laughed their way from the entrance, talking and teasing about the movie that they'd just seen.

"Man, they call that _acting_! Seriously, it's like some crummy soap opera!" Rumi cackled, still allowing her hand to belong to Hakuno's as they walked. She was obviously having a very good time being a movie critic. Chihiro laughed heartily with her, agreeing entirely.

"And the special effects…Sheesh, don't even get me started on those!" Chihiro giggled to her friend, joining in.

Hakuno was quietly smiling, watching the interaction of the friends, able for a while to get his mind off of his non-existent past and live in the present with the movie and his new found friends. He let them lead the way to the arcade, as they called it. Hakuno found it strange that he didn't know what an arcade was, but was curious nonetheless. The breeze blew over the boy, tousling his blue-green hair, and he felt the most at home that he'd felt in the past twenty-four hours. Somehow the wind was the most familiar thing to the boy, like an old friend that hadn't talked to him in a while.

As he allowed the wind to soothe his restless mind, he felt Rumi's hand slip out of his. Opening his eyes again, he saw the girl run ahead, turning to yell to Chihiro.

"Hey, Chi, race ya!" She shouted as Chihiro got the hint and started off herself. "Last one to the DDR machine is a rotten onigiri!"

He watched curiously as the girls ran ahead to a small building that had was labeled "Arcade" by large light-up red kanji. In their dust, the two boys watched, Hakuno wide-eyed, Taro unperturbed. He'd seen this ritual too many times to be surprised.

Hakuno chanced a glance at the elder boy as they walked along, and saw his expressionless face. He hadn't said much the whole outing, in fact, Hakuno wasn't even sure he'd even heard him speak, as of yet. Taro turned his head to look at Hakuno as they walked, finally noticing that the new boy had been watching him. Hakuno's face quickly turned towards their destination, not wishing to look into those secretively deep eyes again.

"So, kid, where ya from?" Taro finally grunted in a deep voice that showed no emotion of actual caring for Hakuno's life story.

"Ah…" Hakuno thought, noting that he had no clue where he came from and then trying to find a name to pass of as a city. His thoughts suddenly returned to his history book, where he'd seen one city name. "Kyoto…" He hoped as he said it that he remembered it correctly.

"Been there once. Pretty cool I guess." Taro told him indifferently. Hakuno focused on the sidewalk below him, not any more comforted about this boy by his attempts at making a half-hearted conversation. Something still felt terribly wrong about this guy, and Hakuno hated it, but still found himself wondering how he was even sensing this to begin with.

The two walked into the arcade, Hakuno finding that it was a great span of a room with many noises and lights, sometimes blinking, flashing, doing all sorts of terrible things to his senses. Children ran all over the place, ribbons of paper streaming behind them from their hands. There were curious machines all over, the sources of all the heinous noises and lights, kids and teenagers alike sat or stood at these various machines, doing all sorts of things that Hakuno was certain that he'd never even imagined.

Over to the left, where Taro had turned while Hakuno stood gawking at the room, was a double machine, with two pads on the floor, and a TV in front. Hakuno noticed Chihiro and Rumi over at this machine, and decided to go and watch. They stood on the pads themselves, Rumi poking a button repetitively and running through options on the TV screen. Chihiro, meanwhile leaned on the bar that sat behind her, attached to the pad below, watching the options flash on the screen as her friend zoomed through them. Hakuno came up just behind them, curious as to what the device actually did.

"Wha- Hey, Rumi, that song is way too fast! You know I'm no good at this!" Chihiro half whined, half teased her friend as Rumi positioned herself onto her pad.

Hakuno, looking at the pads now, saw that they were made of metal, with blue and pink arrows pointing left, right, up and down. He was still mortally confused, but, as if in answer to his question, the large speakers to the sides of the screen began to emit music, music that Hakuno found as oddly strange to him. Not to say he wasn't intrigued by the music, just that it was new.

Arrows began to show up on the screen, and as they progressed up the screen, Rumi and Chihiro's feet moved with the music, tapping the according directions. They gracefully sped up with the music, working their legs faster, sometimes missing, but proceeding.

His eyes were fixed on Chihiro, the less experienced of the two. She was concentrated on her side of the screen, determined to get every step down, but still graced with the occasional clumsy step. He watched as she moved her whole form to keep up, her pleated school skirt twirling about her thighs, her hair tail bouncing in time behind her head. Her legs worked hard to connect with the arrows on the pads, and it did indeed look like a dance when the girls were on a roll. But despite Chihiro's earlier protests, she handled the song quite well, and was out of breath as it closed.

"Alright, Chi, you choose the next one," Rumi instructed with a small gasp. "Unless the boys want to have a go?" She turned to Taro and Hakuno with an encouraging smile on her face.

Hakuno snapped out of his trance as she addressed him. He was fascinated by this game, but he didn't think that he was ready to take it into his own trial.

"N-no, that's ok, really, Namiko-san," Hakuno shook his hands in front of him.

"Yeah, I think I'll actually challenge this kid to some Air Hockey," Taro said competitively, turning his grimace to the younger boy.

"Well, if you're sure, more fun for us!" Rumi cheerfully said, turning back to the DDR machine. Chihiro had her song ready, and smacked a button at Rumi's signal, setting them both off to more instructed dance steps.

Hakuno found himself in another trance, as he felt a hard hand place itself roughly on his shoulder, leading him away from the dancing girls. He looked for the source of the hand, and found those eyes, those deep, dark and threatening eyes staring at him, not six inches away.

"Don't think I didn't see you looking at Chihiro, buddy." Taro grunted lowly.

Hakuno stared back, his own eyes matching his opponents in fierce green. Something about him, about Taro saying her name didn't seem right. He wanted to tell him so, but luckily, he found that Hakuno had much self control. The grip that Taro had on his shoulder wasn't helping the situation, however, it felt to the younger boy that Taro's hand was burning his flesh, even through his school blazer and white cotton shirt.

"Ain't you with Rumi, anyway? Shouldn't be eying other girls when you've already got one." His eyes narrowed, casting them in even more shadow in the already dim room. His grip on Hakuno suddenly tightened. "Especially when those other girls already have a guy."

Hakuno tore his shoulder from the elder's grasp, unable to bear this stand-off any longer without snapping. He suddenly had a fleeting idea to tell Taro that he didn't deserve to even say her name, let alone touch her. He had to rid himself of this contact before he bit off more than he could handle with this remark. Perhaps it was only his mind, but the boy's breath had smelled nothing less then _venomous_.

Taro had obviously taken the recoil as something of a challenge, and grabbed the boy's wrist, strongly yanking him to an odd looking table. Hakuno had half a mind to rip himself from the hold, but he was released from it before he could act.

"I meant it when I said I was going to challenge you to Air Hockey, twerp." Taro growled at Hakuno, picking up a little handle and feeding the mechanical table a couple of coins.

Hakuno grabbed his own curious looking handle, turning it over in his hands, examining it and searching his memory for instructions of how to use it. Suddenly on the table below him, a small disk blurred into a slot, the lights above the table announcing that the score was '1-0' in lit up red numbers. Hakuno suddenly understood the purpose of the game, noticing that Taro had used the little handle to send the disk into his side of the table. He retrieved the disk, and aimed for Taro's identical slot.

Taro grinned as he guarded the gap with the handle, Hakuno's shot bouncing off and ricocheting into his own slot.

"Two, zip, Hakuno." He grunted, almost bored, but with relish.

The deep green haired boy had discovered something else about himself, he was a fast learner. This time, he sent the disk flying across the table, this time guarding his own gap. When it came back, he swung at it again, hard. Taro underestimated him, and the disk flew into his slot, the table telling them '2-1' with the red numbers and superficial sound effects of people cheering. Taro frowned only momentarily, writing the other boy's score off as a stroke of luck as he retrieved the disk from his side of the table.

Hakuno bent over, ready for the other's volley, determined to show his opponent his distrust for him in the form of this game. Intense emerald eyes darted, following the path of the disk as it clacked back and forth between the boys, Hakuno blocking every shot with perfection, raising the score progressively to '2-7'. Taro was getting antsy now, noticing that Hakuno seemed to see through his every move. Hakuno spotted the boy's problem as being so competitive. It ended up working against him, more than for him. The younger boy grinned as the score finally progressed to 2-10, obviously the highest the table wanted them to go. The machine gave its own little routine form of celebration, with more cheerful sound effects and blinking lights, as a slot spit out a lengthy ribbon of paper out at Hakuno. Hakuno gazed at the ribbon, not knowing what it did. Nonetheless, he figured it was some sort of reward for his victory, albeit a useless looking one, and ripped the ribbon from the mouth of the machine while catching a glimpse of Taro's thoroughly disgruntled attitude.

"Wow, look at those tickets!" Rumi's voice joined them, bringing both boys out of their newest standoff. "Heh, I take it that Hakuno-san kicked your ass, then, right Taro?" She gave a laugh, teasing Taro and laying an arm around Hakuno's shoulders.

Chihiro came up after her, catching sight of Hakuno's reward for his victory.

"Wow, good job, Hakuno-san, you got past Taro's competitiveness!" She congratulated, a splash of pink on her cheeks. She came closer than she ever had to Hakuno, smiling. "What are you going to get with them?"

"Get?" Hakuno asked, honestly confused, but still glad she was talking to him. Something about her, still called to him. He felt Rumi's hand transfer to his ticket-less hand and drag him off to a counter-top. Behind the countertop was a variety of different toys and prizes, and Hakuno figured that the tickets were used as some sort of currency. He watched as a little girl who could only just peek over the top turned hers in, requesting a large teddy bear on the top shelf. How she'd gotten all of those tickets, Hakuno didn't have a clue. She must have been quite the gamer for her young age.

"You turn them in here, and you can get a prize, depending on how many you have," Rumi explained, confirming Hakuno's estimate. "Let's see how much you've got." She gently took the tickets from his hands, counting them quickly as she pulled them through her fingers, mouthing number after number. She still looked so adorable to Hakuno, her mop of silky blond hair hanging in her face, slightly sweaty from the DDR game.

"Aw, only 23. You can't get much of anything for that. Still good for one game of air hockey, though…" Rumi handed him the ribbon, a disappointed look on her face. "Maybe you could come back later, and get some more, so you can get something really cool!" her disappointment turning to hope. "I myself have a stash, I'm saving up for that white dragon up there." She pointed discreetly up to one of the highest shelves in the place, that supported a stunning statue of a silver white dragon, with a forest-green mane that spread from it's head all down its twisting, slender body and into a tassel at the end of it's tail. Whatever light reached it glinted off with such beauty that it stunned Hakuno to look at it. It's gleaming, unbelievably emerald eyes stared back at him, sending a shiver into his spine. That feeling of familiarity again, it flashed through him as he gazed at the work of art.

"It's Chihiro's birthday soon, and I want to get it for her," Rumi whispered, glancing over at the couple, who were still by the air hockey table, and to Hakuno's relief, chatting instead of making out. "She collects these types of dragons, and that pattern, silver with forest green is her absolute favorite. She doesn't know why, but she still has them all over her room." Rumi smiled again at the dragon on the shelf.

"I only need a few more hundred tickets, then it's all mine." She grinned, a look of determination spread upon her shining face.

Hakuno looked at her eyes that were transfixed on the prize, this time they were glittering, deepened by her friendship with Chihiro. His glance turned to the meager amount of tickets, and his lips turned into a small smile.

"Here," Hakuno's voice brought her out of her trance. Peering at him with her deep eyes, she saw his smile, gleaming emerald eyes that somehow brought the prize again to her mind, and finally the strand of twenty-three tickets in his outstretched hand.

"Hakuno-san…I can't...those are your tickets…!" She stammered, blushing furiously.

"Take them Namiko-san, I really don't need them." He urged, easing his lips into a deeper smile. "It's not much, but you want to get her a gift. Really, it's fine," Hakuno assured her gently, still holding his offering out.

She blushed further, but accepted the tickets, a smile joining her blush.

"Th-thank you, Hakuno-san," She shyly told him, before tossing her arms around him in a deep embrace, much to the surprise of Hakuno, who let his hands hold her shoulders in return.

"Ah, Rumi-chan?" Hakuno heard Chihiro's voice from behind him. Rumi broke away from him as suddenly as she'd embraced him, a blush visible as she hid the tickets behind her back.

"We got to go get Rin-chan from daycare, it's almost four o'clock!" Chihiro announced, trying not to look at Hakuno again for fear of that desirous feeling of recognition coming over her again. "Sorry we have to leave you guys," She said to the boys, mainly looking at Taro who'd joined her expressionlessly at her side. Hakuno noticed him, wondering briefly what made her want to be his girlfriend in the first place.

"Yeah, we had a lot of fun, though!" Rumi agreed, smiling brilliantly to Hakuno. "Sorry we weren't able to do dinner," She joined with her friend by the hand. She turned to completely face Hakuno, a slight blush coming over her again. "So, I'll see you tomorrow?"

Hakuno smiled certainly, admiring her beautiful eyes.

"Of course," He quietly told her, nodding, the dim lights above giving his forest green hair a bronze glint to it.

Chihiro pretended not to notice his dazzling hair, his sweet smile as she watched Rumi and him say their farewells. Those eyes, though, she couldn't shake. Even after turning towards the doorway with Rumi in tow, she saw them fixed in her vision as if she'd peered straight into a light for a minute or so.

Hakuno meanwhile watched them leave, until their shapes vanished around the corner. He suddenly noticed Taro, still near the air hockey table, glaring at him with his arms crossed across his chest. No words were exchanged, but the two understood each other in this new stand-off. Taro's deep eyes told Hakuno of his resentment for the boy, his readiness to knock him down if he saw fitting.

Hakuno's fierce green eyes shot back bitterness and suspicion, his hands thrust into his blazer pockets. He swore a promise of loyalty and protection to the girls Rumi Namiko and Chihiro Ogino as he walked by the seventeen year old boy, giving him back a venomous glare, his lips thin and straight, neither smiling nor frowning. He allowed his intense eyes -his greatest asset, as he had found- to hold every drop of faithless emotion for Taro to see.

He proceeded to walk straight out of the arcade, hiking his pack up onto better support of his shoulder. He half expected Taro to come up behind him and declare their grudge as physical, but was relieved to have made it to his apartment unscathed.

He shut the door to this strange place, turning the key to latch himself in his security. He dropped his bag next to him as he leaned his back against the door, and sank to a seat on his door mat with a sigh. He stared at his apartment, a small one room unit, with only a closet and a small bathroom as separate areas. It was barely furnished, with a couch, a coffee table, a simple bed and a few lamps here and there. The kitchen area was small and cramped, and barely had any food, a noisy refrigerator and a faucet that dripped incessantly. Did he ever know any better than this? He sighed, wishing he knew anything before this life.

He felt a pang in his stomach, and realized that he was hungry. Extremely hungry, actually. Like he hadn't eaten in days.

"Another mystery," Hakuno muttered, getting to his feet and walking into the corner of the apartment that was called a kitchen, scrounging for food.

Finally finding some pastries, he grabbed one and lay down on the couch, eating, pondering, and finally drifting off to a light slumber, half-eaten pastry in his hand.


	5. Rituals, New and Old

-Catgirl-of-Bavaria- : Hey hey again, heres an update for you guys. Tried to get it on earlier, but I was fiddling with trying to download a media player for my PC, trying to make it able to play all my new VCDs...It's not working! Rawr! .:Goes on rampage:.I wanna watch my FMA, dang it! Hellsing and Noir too...Mai Hime... .:cries:.

Anyway, a short chapter for now, but soon I'll put up the next one as well! Yay! Again, thank you to all my reviewers, my most recent and newer ones, you know who you are and I send you great thanks and a basket of muffins for your encouraging reviews! On with the story, then! Enjoy the fluff!

Chapter 4- Rituals, New and Old

Chihiro sat at her desk later that night, trudging through her stuck mind and trying to do her physics homework. Her chin resting sloppily in one hand, she tapped her pencil incessantly on the wood of her simple desk, leaving little smudges on her papers where the slightly blackened eraser made contact with her assignment.

She was halfway through it, and wasn't so much having trouble with the material itself, just concentrating on it was her problem. So many distractions had come her way since she got home with her little sister earlier. First it had been Rin's hunger; since her parents were working overtime, she had to prepare dinner for the both of them. Then it had been thoughts of the boy called Hakuno. After that, only more thoughts of him. Then, unsurprisingly, more thoughts about him.

Her brown hair flooded around her as she allowed her head to rest on the desk with a faint 'thud'. The tapping of her pencil increased in rate before she ceased altogether, smacking the utensil on the desk next to her. She groaned into her homework, finding that escaping this boy was becoming increasingly impossible.

"God, why is he bothering me so much!" She asked her homework, her voice whiny and muffled by the desk.

She pulled herself up and out of the rolling chair, going first to the window, where rain clouds stained the young twilight with droplets of chilly autumn rain. She trudged to her bed, and flopped down onto it, immersing herself in the brilliant emerald sheets and comforters. Her exposed skin felt chilly, from wearing her jade tank top and her pleated uniform skirt that she'd neglected to take off upon her arrival home.

Peering around her room, it was obvious that green was her favorite color. The walls to begin with, had been a deep red, but something about the particular shade brought an unpleasant chill to her insides as soon as she saw it. She'd chosen the green color, a perfect shade of emerald. Her mother had objected, thinking it was too loud, but Chihiro hadn't cared. It made her feel at home, and that had finally convinced her mother to allow it. Other than that, her green walls were adorned with posters, only of dragons. She'd made a habit of seeking out a particular design, silvery white with forest green mane. It was sometimes a difficult design to find, but she'd managed to accumulate quite a collection over the years. Statues on some shelves matched the posters. Even her bed linings were emerald, as she snuggled into them.

She had no clue why she had such a fascination with emerald green or these dragons, but it had started around five years ago, when she'd moved into this house. She had thought that maybe it was the first thing she started to like when she got there, and she held on to it in hopes of it providing some comfort about being in a new place.

But somehow, this meeting with Hakuno that day had brought her fascination of the color into questioning. She looked at the dragons on her posters, at their green eyes. The same piercing, intense eyes that Hakuno had. They were that brilliant emerald green, just like her walls, her blankets, and half of her wardrobe.

Then, an entirely different aspect, a much less superficial, was how he made her feel, whenever he looked at her, whenever he spoke, whenever he smiled at Rumi. It was like her head and her heart were on two separate levels. In her mind she knew that she'd never met him in her life, but still, the feelings she felt when he did certain, even subtle, things were real.

She flung herself over the edge of the bed, leaning upside down and peering into the depths below it. She reached for a dusty box, expending great effort to not fall off the bed and still tug the box out of its hiding. Finally, just as the blood was rushing to her head, she pulled herself and the shoebox up and into the covers. Draping the emerald cover over her head like a hood, she pried the box open.

Inside, she found an assortment of items, like a small card with a note written on it, the goodbye card that Rumi had given her before she left her former neighborhood, along with a single pink and crinkled flower petal, a fragment of the bouquet that came with the card. There was also a little statue of her favorite dragon, the first she'd ever gotten. A few letters, open and long ago read were also in there, those were also from Rumi, before she'd joined Chihiro next door. Finally, her sights rested on a small book, the book she used as a journal at emotional times like this. Taking it out, there was a small newspaper clipping, one that she remembered as being something about an old river being lost to development over the years. She wondered for a moment why she had kept it, other than the minor fact that her parents and she used to visit it when she was little.

"Huh, I remember that…I think I fell in…" She absently reminded herself as she thumbed through the book, skimming over random entries…

_Well, it's been three months since I moved to this stupid town…there isn't that much to do with out Rumi, I haven't got any friends yet. Why'd we move here again?..._

_I had a really weird dream last night, but I can't remember what it was! Sometimes I swear, I'm losing my mind without any friends to talk to…Oh, but Rumi's letter came today, she's doing great…wish I was too…_

_School's getting easier, people are kinda starting to warm up to me. I'm having more dreams, and I still can't remember any of them…Lately, I've even been feeling really lonely, I've made a couple of friends, but I still feel like I'm forgetting something, or that something's really missing…_

_I'm so excited! Mom says she's pregnant! Me and dad are really happy for her. I can't wait to have a new baby brother or sister! _

_The baby finally came, she is so cute! We decided to call her Rin. I picked the name! I honestly don't know where it came from, but something about it…_

_I start high school tomorrow…._

_Met a guy named Taro today, he seems pretty nice. Rumi says I need a guy to fill this loneliness that I still have. I haven't even considered getting a boyfriend yet, something just doesn't seem right. Taro's nice and everything, and it's not him, but something about me is…confused…I don't know what to think of it. It feels so weird. It almost feels like I don't know…like I'm waiting for something. I'll talk to Taro and Rumi both tomorrow…_

The next one was written sloppily, and undated, unlike the rest of them;

_I'm forgetting something, aren't I? Something just doesn't make sense. Something happened, a while ago. But I can't remember what. It drives me crazy, it has ever since I turned 11! I hide it at school from Taro and Rumi-chan, but I still can't get over this!_

She noticed a couple of tearstains on the paper, lucky enough to have missed the ink. She recalled one night when she was fourteen, she'd woken up from one of those mysterious dreams, crying, sick of all the forgetting, the emptiness. She'd written this stressful entry that night. Writing in this book always made her feel better, even if only for a while. It had become her ritual, whenever she felt like she did now.

Chihiro pulled the covers closer around her, shielding her from the chill, and curled into a ball. She retrieved the pen she kept handy in the box and set it to the paper, spilling out every strange feeling she had experienced that day.

---

Hakuno listened intently to the rain outside his window, letting it pull his weary, confused mind from his homework assignments. It seemed to tell him things, give him images of distant places, places that maybe had come to him in a dream. He must have been crazy, he'd thought at first, to be listening so avidly to the rain, as if it were telling him a timeless tale. That thought, however had been washed away with the light grime on the other side of his window.

He looked back at his papers, reluctantly tearing himself away from his rain splattered window, and looked at the Physics book before him. He had his work sprawled out upon the coffee table, and he sat on the floor, lounging against the couch, drumming his pencil on his knee. He'd nearly finished, but was relentlessly bombarded with thoughts of her, memories of her face. The image of her moving to the music of the machine at the arcade. He couldn't get her out of his head.

Then Taro crossed his mind, the two of them seeming to take turns in running distractions through his mind. Whenever Chihiro entered, the worry and mistrust of Taro followed, making matters worse.

Hakuno frowned at his pencil as he watched it tap away at his knee, racking his brains for some sort of memory of the girl. Something before his amnesia that would provide some justification of his feelings for her. He knew these feelings were there, but didn't know why.

He remembered that afternoon, after seeing her and Taro next to his locker, he'd felt weak, even sick as soon as they left. The thing that hurt him most in that moment, he realized, was his heart. He recalled the tears he'd wiped away, trying to reject these feelings.

He finally had enough of his homework taunting him along with everything else, so he got to his feet and walked to the one luxury that his apartment provided, a balcony. Sliding the glass door behind him, the boy let his shirt and flannel pants become drenched in the chilly rain. He leaned on the railing, letting his hair fall to cover his face as he shut his eyes and searched.

He searched his mind for her. His memories were uncooperative. Who was this girl, and why did he somehow know her?

Why was he feeling such feelings of…

"Rejection?" he asked, finally piecing together the logical evidence of why he'd felt sick when he'd seen them in the hallway.

He stared down at the ground below, watching the rain fall into a vanishing point, joined by droplets from his own soaking hair. How was she rejecting him? She'd only just met him that day. If they'd really met before, she'd remember it, at least, wouldn't she? If he were to continue thinking about this more and more, he might remember something as well, right?

His train of thought led him straight back to the heart ache. Actually, after some thought in this sense, Hakuno felt that maybe his heart was trying desperately to tell him something. Like it knew something that his mind didn't, that his memory refused to display the answers to. Unfortunately, his mind and his heart seemed to speak entirely different languages.

He sighed, sinking down to the planks of his balcony, folding his knees to his chest, glancing through the bars that outlined the terrace, seeing small lights of town through the rainy haze.

"This is all too strange to make sense…" He told himself hopelessly, finding himself more lost and confused than ever. The rain continued down on him, trying to ease his tenseness, running down his face, his arms, and trough his soaked clothes. He didn't care, though, it was soothing him, somehow.

He mentally made a note about this rain's ability, and promised to visit it whenever it rolled around.


	6. The Boy in the River

-Catgirl-of-Bavaria- : Huzzah, another update! Sorry it took a little bit, longer than should have been anyway, as I already have a lot of this story typed…My other story, which hasn't been updated in longer, is kind of the opposite. I've caught up to myself on what I'd already typed on it, so in other words, the upcoming chapter of Dreams of Spirits has not been written yet….Gomen nasaii! I'll get on that, I need to be struck with genius with how to get to where I wanna go with it. Yeah.

Speaking of being struck with genius, I haven't been on here for a few days as the other day I was suddenly struck with a muse…I think someone threw it at me while I was sleeping over at my friend's house! LoL…but it's another idea for an original manga, I've already planned some of it out in my mind (that's what I do when my muse throws itself at me, I lie around and stew in my idea for a while, plotting it out in my head…mwahaha) I've also commenced with the drawing! Rawr! So yeah, if I disappear from the face of the internet for a few days at a time, it's because I'm either doing my manga work or asking Buddha to throw my muse at my face again so I can get my next chapter of DoS up as soon as I can…

And to my reviewers, thank you very much, please continue with the reading of my story! I'm grateful to have fans of my story who are so loving and patient with my erratic updates! LoL. Anyway, thank you all so much, and I'm sorry to any I haven't emailed back, I have read every review that has come my way with great appreciation. Your voices are heard, do not worry! .:Glomps each and every reviewer:.

Also, a heads up, I think I'm decided in changing the rating of this story to T…_Just to be safe_. It's gonna get a little crazy, starting here. It's not much, and I was debating with myself of whether to change the rating or not, but I think I've made my mind up. So there, rawr. Please keep reading despite? Onegai?

Chapter 5- The Boy in the River

_September 26_

_As if my life wasn't already insane enough. I met a guy today, the new kid in class. He should be totally new and strange to me, but I actually feel connected to him in some way. At first in class I just wrote it off, but suddenly I saw him in the hall after school, when I was with Taro, and I felt unexplainably uncomfortable with Taro. _

_That's not all. When it turned out that he was Rumi's "date" on our outing this afternoon, I felt even stranger. I hate to admit it, but I kind of felt jealous of her. Why would I feel that way?_

_I'm starting to think maybe all this forgetfulness that I've been having, this emptiness that I have had for five years, maybe it's somehow connected to him. I just don't remember ever knowing him, and I know this makes absolutely no sense. Still, something about him just draws me to him, I wonder what it is. Maybe I'll see if I can talk to him tomorrow at school or something, just to see if anything at all clicks. _

_I've forgotten something that happened long ago, but maybe he has the answers._

_I've always been waiting for something, but now, I'm starting to wonder if it was a some**one **instead._

---

Chihiro looked over the diary entry one last time before she decided to roll reluctantly out of her bed. She had barely slept that last night; she was haunted half the night by cryptic thoughts of her truest and deepest feelings, all of them relating someway to Hakuno. When she was actually able to drift off to sleep, those thoughts followed her into her subconscious.

She'd clutched the diary to her chest almost all night after she finally finished writing in it, giving up on her homework. She knew she'd be punished with a bad mark, but she knew for a fact that she wouldn't have been able to push herself to complete it, even with effort. She'd found the book that morning, open faced on the floor, obviously from a successful escape from her arms during the night. The shoe box was still on her night stand, next to the alarm clock that wasn't set to wake her for another half hour.

She set her feet flat on the ground, staring groggily at the dawn-lit floorboards of her room. It was obviously very early in the morning, the sun just peeking over the eastern horizon. Her sister was still asleep, she figured with great relish. Smiling, she decided to take advantage of this unusual early start, digging in her wardrobe for a fresh uniform outfit to wear. Glancing out the window, she noticed the low fog that had descended the town, making it impossible to see even her wooden fence that bordered her backyard, the favorite playplace of her little sister.

She yanked off her jade top that she'd slept in and searched for a neat looking long sleeve version of her uniform top, noting that morning fog usually showed up on a chillier day. Pulling the relatively warmer top on over an undershirt, she turned her attention to her hair, rumpled and chaotic from the restless night. She tugged her brush through it and tamed it into a collection of silky brunette locks. For once, she agreed with the direction her hair went, and decided with a triumphant smile to let her hair stay down for the day. She spied the hair tie on her desk, however, and felt guilty about leaving it home, for whatever reason.

She eventually gave in to its callings and allowed it to ride the day out on her right wrist.

Sweeping the hair from her vision, she decided to sneak down stairs and celebrate her early wakefulness with a home-cooked breakfast for Rin, something that was rare, especially from Chihiro, the late-sleeper.

"She'll definitely enjoy it better than a stupid bowl of cereal, that's for sure," She told herself quietly and with a fond smile of affection for her sister.

She glanced in the little girls room as she passed, watching the small girl of sienna hair rest deeply and with a pure and innocent smile. Chihiro grinned, thinking of how lovely it would be to have such a deep and unperturbed sleep.

She shook herself out of it and hurried to start up breakfast.

---

Chihiro wondered the halls, her books and materials clutched by both hands to her chest, her eyes casting themselves in every direction, looking for two people.

The first, being Taro. It wasn't so much as looking for him as looking out for him. The girl still felt uncomfortable, thinking about being in his arms, about kissing him. Ever since she'd seen the distraught Hakuno at his locker the previous day, she'd had this feeling. She couldn't help but feel that Taro wasn't right. She couldn't explain it, but she'd been doing this all day, dodging his attention, avoiding him when possible, and hoping that she wouldn't find herself between the locker and his hungry lips.

The second, being Hakuno. She was still heart-set on starting up a conversation with him, trying to figure something out. He'd been in class that day, but after the final bell rang, he'd been gone. Now, at the end of school, she wondered the halls, hoping to run into him. How he'd managed to get out of the classroom when she'd only looked away for a second, she didn't know.

She rushed through the hallway where she'd seen him at his locker just twenty-four hours previous, but he was nowhere in sight. She gazed at the floor through her curtain of brunette, wondering where he would possibly be.

She suddenly felt hands wrap around her waist and midriff, pulling her into a wall of a human behind her. Her eyes widened for a second at the initial shock, but then shut tightly, as if meditating, at the realization of who the hands belonged to.

"Hey, I've barely seen you all day," Taro's deep voice murmured into her hair. Chihiro suddenly sensed the lust that laced his voice, and felt that feeling of distress spreading through her again. "I like your hair when it's down, you should wear it like that more often."

Chihiro felt his face burrowing into her neck, savoring her hair. Her palms became slightly sweaty, making the smooth texture of her textbooks a bit slippery, and staining and wrinkling her papers with the moisture.

He led her to the locker bordered wall of the deserted corridor, turning her to face him as she was leaned against the locker. Her giant brown eyes looked up to him, wishing that she could break off and find Hakuno, the boy she actually wanted to see.

"Chihiro, why don't we go to my apartment? My dad won't be home for another four hours…" He told her, a grin on his face, his eyes deep and shadowed by the angle that his face had to tip to look at the shorter girl.

Chihiro's cheeks went purely hot, knowing instantly what he was suggesting. No, this was not in her plans for the day at all. She felt her heart race with nervousness as his hands slipped up the back of her thick school uniform, under both it and her undershirt. His hands felt cold as they caressed the small of her back, slowly but surely making their way the rest of the way up her spine. Her mind was firing off in a million different directions at once, panicked that he was even suggesting such an activity, so soon. They hadn't even been dating a year, and she was only fifteen years old!

"Taro, I can't come over today," Chihiro concocted, suddenly more desperate than ever to get away, feeling his hands working their way dangerously close to the clasp of her bra.

"Aw, come on," He tried to egg her on, with playful nipping at her neck. "Four hours all to ourselves; how can we not take advantage of that?"

Chihiro's books were starting to slip from her slightly shaking grasp, her breaths coming in panicked but silent gasps. A quick glance at the surrounding corridor told her she was on her own, and the thought frightened her even more.

"I…have to watch my little sister today…My parents are working overtime again…" She lied, trying to hide the distress in her voice. She wanted to shove out of his grasp, but found herself frozen between the locker and her lust-driven boyfriend.

"She's at daycare, isn't she? What's a few more hours?" Taro told her indifferently, continuing up her neck and to her ear. His fingers were just centimeters from her clasp…

"Taro, I'm serious." Chihiro had suddenly found her voice, and found that her right hand had finally taken the liberty of warding him off, with a firm push of his chest. "I have to go pick up my sister. I promised her we'd do something, just the two of us today." She continued, not removing her hand from the center of his chest. Her sleeve fell slightly back, revealing a furiously glimmering purple hairband. The thing seemed to provide its own small light in the dim hallway.

Taro's deep orbs stared at her, partly surprised at her forwardness, part wanting to go in for another attempt to change her mind. Finally, after staring at her blazing brown eyes, the boy shrugged with a sigh. Bringing his hand up to casually scratch the back of his neck, he stared off, no longer looking at her.

"Well, alright…" His deep voice sounded, trying to sound fine with it, but clearly unfulfilled. "Next time, maybe?"

Chihiro said nothing, her hands both clutching her books over her chest, this time out of trying to hide herself from him. She truly didn't want a next time, any time in the future.

"We'll see." She decided to whisper hoarsely, before turning for the exit of the school, resisting the urge to run for it. Through the double doors, she exited the building, shutting the doors behind her and sinking into a deep and shaky sigh.

She had of course, lied about having to watch her sister. Right at that moment, she knew, Rin was at home, probably doing something enjoyable, like baking something with their mom, or playing catch in the living room with their dad. Doing something fun, compared to her previous encounter that had nearly ended up as a case of harassment.

She couldn't stand to be near that building anymore, and pelted straight for the gateway to the town. She didn't stop until her legs ached and burned, along with her lungs. She'd ended up halfway to her house, a destination that she'd normally use the bus to get to from the school. She still had a ways to go, but she couldn't go at the moment, with all of the protests that her body gave her.

She sat down on the curb, taking inventory of her surroundings. The day had indeed ended up a chilly one, the sky overcast and grey, the wind nonexistent. She saw behind some café a small, isolated forest, one of many in the area. She vaguely remembered that this particular one had a small river, or large stream, inside it. She'd explored it once with Rumi when taking interest in her new town became a plus with her companionship.

With a final sigh to calm her lungs, the girl took her pack off of her back, roughly removing her diary from it. She'd somehow decided to bring it with her that day, as it was sure to be an emotional one. She usually wrote when she was holed up in her emerald covers at home, but this was too urgent to wait. She whipped through the pages while rummaging for her diary pen, a frown engraved in her face for recalling her boyfriend's advances and her unsuccessful search for Hakuno.

A movement called her attention to the isolated forest, while she was midway through a turn of a group of pages. She stared wide-eyed, daring not to think she was seeing correctly.

With his back to her, Hakuno stood just in front of the forest, looking inward at it. Chihiro's dark eyes became their largest, as she sat there, frozen and knowing that unique color and style of green hair could only belong to one person. The boy began to walk into the forest, not stopping.

Chihiro gasped, nearly dropping her journal into the gutter. She stuffed everything into her bag and whirled it onto her shoulders, running clumsily after the boy who was quickly disappearing into the shadows of the wood.

She reached the wood, stumbling up the inclined dirt pathway, using her hands to stable herself as she pulled after him. He was still well ahead of her, but she knew that this was the only path through this forest, and it led straight to the river she remembered. She finally, while silently gasping for breath and ignoring her muscles that weren't ready for another exercise so soon. She slowed as her memory told her that the river wasn't far now, her memory supported by the sound of lazily running water.

Finally, coming to the same clearing she and Rumi had come to before, she stayed out of sight for the time being, hiding behind a thick tree. The river was running calm and clear over the river rocks, gracefully transitioning from running water to the sandy bank. Chihiro knew that the river was fairly deep, it was so clear the she and Rumi had seen all of the fish that swam just over the river rocks at the bottom. It was a beautiful river, and she had always appreciated her time spent at this clearing.

Just on the bank, though, stood Hakuno, still in his school uniform, his backpack discarded on a large rock just behind him. She suddenly and curiously noted that his shoes also lay just next to the rock in the sand. His hands seemed to be fiddling with something on the front of his torso, and shortly after, his right hand pulled off his black school tie, discarding it on the rock with his things.

Chihiro blushed furiously and turned her back to the thick tree, her hiding spot, as she watched him slip off his white shirt as well. Her hands covering her eyes in embarrassment, she wondered if she should just turn back to the town. She heard the sound of light splashing, and drawing her face from her hands turned to look back at the water. She was relieved to see that he hadn't stripped himself of his slacks, which were now rolled up to his knees. He stood, almost knee deep in the river, still staring out onto the water, as if mesmerized.

Chihiro was quiet as she peeked from her tree, wondering what he was doing. Suddenly, Hakuno proceeded into the water, soaking his slacks and submerging his hair into the water. Chihiro gasped, even more worried. What was he doing, submerging himself in a river in the middle of a cold spell?

She tore herself from her concealment and running across the sandy bank. She reached the edge of the water and saw, below the water, Hakuno, who seemed to be savoring the running water around him, his eyes shut and his mouth occasionally emitting small bubbles that carried off with the stream.

Chihiro still felt panicked as she watched the boy under the water, wondering when he'd come up for air, or if the current was really as calm as he made it seem.

A couple of moments passed, and Chihiro finally groaned out of the amassed panic. The boy was still underwater, his hair waving majestically around him, his emerald eyes still lidded. Could he really hold his breath for so long?

She threw her pack to the dirt, yanking off her ankle-high boots and knee-high socks, and headed bare-footed into the brink of the water, letting it sting her feet with its icy temperatures.

Delving deeper with shivers coursing through her, she walked closer to the boy, calling his name.


	7. Final Decision and a Blessing

-Catgirl-of-Bavaria- : Look, it's an update, and at a reasonable time, too! Amazing, seeing as how that muse that gone thrown at me Sunday night is still sticking around, feeding me manga ideas, I was sulking for a day or so because the Target I applied to turned me down with a stinking postcard, and the sudden passing of a classmate's brother. (My friend and I haven't seen said classmate since graduation, but he was in our German class, even went to Germany on the exchange two years ago with us, so we're kinda sorta friends.) We did our own little mourning thing the other night, taking a walk around a local lake then sleeping over at her house Thursday night. We missed the candle-light vigil last night, dammit! Curses! I didn't even know the guy but still, I knew his brother, so it kind of hit home for me still…I'm hoping that our friend is doing alright…I'll keep him and his family and his brother all in my best wishes.

_Rest in Peace, Dan._

Chapter 6- Final Decision and a Blessing

I stare into the forest I have led myself to, not knowing what drew me. It's a mystery to me, among every other thing about my life. Today at my new high school was boring and uneventful, my friend Rumi didn't show up for some reason. Perhaps she was sick. It has been pretty cold out since last night.

I had kept to my studies today, not paying attention to my surroundings in class. Since Rumi wasn't there I didn't really have anyone to talk to. I suppose there was Ogino-san, but I admit that I'm a little nervous around her. I know that I've been drawn to her since we met, but I don't want to get into anything. Yes, I believe it's best to keep watch of her from a safe distance.

Taro is the reason I want to watch out for her. I see it in his eyes, whenever we stare each other down, something about him is not right. It makes me fear for Ogino-san. Still, I think for at least a while, I should keep a look out from afar before I bring her or myself into anything…unpleasant. Luckily today was void of any unwanted sights of her and him together.

I decided to plow into the forest, hiking up the sloping trail, still muddy from the previous night's rain. The rain that had soothed me, even if only temporarily. For what it was worth, it was worth every drop that soaked me and my clothes.

Finally I come to a clearing, one that draws it's viewers in with a stunning, picturesque river streaming through it. I walk up to a rock that has situated itself in the very center of the bank, trying hard to call attention from the river and to itself, albeit unsuccessfully. My eyes fixate themselves to that river as I relieve myself of my hefty book bag, full of text and homework for tonight. Leaving it on the rock, I further venture to the river.

It laughs and purrs over the eroded stones, the clear water radiantly shining as it passes slowly by. It's deep and chilly, I can tell just by looking at it. I can't resist the urge to take off my shoes and savor the natural bank against my feet. The river further influences me, inviting me in, if only for a second. Giving in, I discard my tie and shed my button-up shirt, rolling up the hems of my slacks.

I let the river welcome me, letting it lick my legs, the cold prickling at my skin. Finally, with a deep sigh, I continue into the river, the cold prickling at the rest of my body as I sink to the bottom of the flowing water. The water welcomes me as if we've somehow met before, and I feel that feeling of familiarity. This river treats me as if I were an old friend, it gives me some feeling of a friendly hug.

It's excruciating, being in a cold river in the middle of autumn. I find myself feeling suddenly rejuvenated, though I've only been in the chilling water for a mere minute or so. I picture her in my mind, Ogino, but they're peaceful thoughts, compared to the more stressful thoughts of the previous days. Somehow the river heals me, even more so than the rain, as I let the current gently press past my exposed back, waving my hair madly around me.

I feel something in the river now, a disturbance. My eyes fly open, and I see a shape, just above me, on the other side of the water.

---

Hakuno rose from the waters of the river, taking in a deep breath, his blue-green hair dripping. He stared wide-eyed at a figure standing just near him, a girl standing knee-deep in the river.

Chihiro's large brown eyes stared at Hakuno's green ones, caught in mid-wade between him and the bank. Hakuno was shocked to see her there with a look of worry spread on her pink face. He now stood on the rocks at the bottom, the rushing water coursing around his bare shoulders.

"O-Ogino-san?" He gaped at her. "What are you doing here?"

"Me? What are you doing in the river?" Chihiro suddenly squeaked, her blush deepening. "It's cold out today, you're going to get sick!"

Hakuno felt his own cheeks grow hot as he realized she was probably right, and that she was truly worried. He scrambled over the rocks, pulling himself out of the river.

"Ogino-san, I didn't mean to make you worry…" He watched the sand below him as he walked across it, squeezing the water out of his pant legs. "I don't know what came over me." He tried to give her a smile, grabbing his dry shirt off the rock.

Chihiro watched shyly as he climbed onto the bank, river water dripping from his bare, sculpted torso. She grabbed her own socks off the ground, and pulled them over her feet, ignoring the fact that they were still wet. Hakuno meanwhile was pushing his arm through one of his sleeves.

"What brought you in here, anyway?" Hakuno asked her, indicating the woods.

"I saw you running in here, and I was curious…" Chihiro said distractedly, sitting on the rock and setting her head in her hands. "I usually don't walk home this way, and I actually haven't been to this river for a while."

Hakuno was halfway through his buttons, and turned to face her, noticing her down look, sensing her unease. His smile faded as he drew closer to her, his fingers fumbling with a button half way up his shirt.

"Ogino-san, is everything ok?" He tilted his soaked head to find her eyes. She suddenly looked up, finding his concern-filled emerald eyes. She instantly remembered Taro in the hallway back at the school, her eyes sinking back to the ground. Hakuno watched and grew worried for the worst. Why did he believe that Taro had something to do with it?

"Ogino-san, you can tell me," He soothed, squatting to look at her brown eyes.

Chihiro looked at him, moisture coating her eyes, her hair suddenly floating with a breeze. Taking a deep breath, she fought the lump in her throat and told him about Taro's suggestion from earlier. She'd finally let the stress of the situation get to her, a few tears dripping down her face.

Hakuno sat on the dirt now, staring back at Chihiro, mouth agape. He slowly raised a hand and wiped a tear away with his thumb, not looking away from her eyes.

"I don't think I want to be with Taro anymore, Hakuno," She whispered, letting out another tear and wiping it away with her own hand. "I'm not sure I ever did…I think I'm doing something terribly wrong, like I shouldn't have been with him to begin with…"

"That's fine. It's ok for you to feel that way, Ogino-san," Hakuno assured her, getting to his feet. A shiver visibly shot through him, and he was hard-pressed to figure out if it had been the cold or Chihiro's story that had caused it.

"I told you that you'd get sick," Chihiro told him, actually smiling a little again. She grabbed her book bag, and dug around, pulling out a large grey sweatshirt. "Here, you're lucky I had it today. I took it from my dad this morning, just in case." She held the sweatshirt out to him. He gave her a slight smile, trying to hide his worry for her and hatred for Taro.

He accepted the shirt, pulling it on over his head, watching as it fell past his hips. It was indeed warm, he had to admit. He grabbed his bag and motioned for her to follow him out of the clearing, finding the trail back down the hill and into town. As they reached the bottom of the trail, he started to head straight into the town, for his apartment, as she turned to the right, for her house. They both noticed each other, and paused, neither of them truly wanting to leave the other.

"Ogino-san, why don't you come to my place?" Hakuno asked, smiling with a tilt of his head. "I was going to order something to eat, maybe we could eat together?" He offered shyly, hoping she wouldn't take it as the same kind of invite as she received from Taro. She blushed, but smiled.

"Sure, that'd be cool," She brushed the hair from her face timidly as she came up next to him. "Let's go, you shouldn't stay in those wet clothes too long, or you're going to catch pneumonia or something," She laughed as they started off.

Hakuno smiled to himself, amused with how joking she was with him already. He felt pleased just being in her presence, just having her by his side, talking to him. Rumi had been a great girl too, but Chihiro just felt entirely different. Finally things seemed to fit. She didn't fit with Taro, her realization of that made it exceedingly clear, but something about him being with her felt absolutely right. He only hoped not to screw things up.

With a pleasant sigh, Hakuno marveled over the change that had taken place in just the last hour. Out of the blue, however, he sensed something. Something contrastingly unpleasant, some hatred or envy that seemed directed at him. There was the feeling that someone was watching them. Hakuno still had no clue how he was picking these things up like this, but he sensed that Chihiro could be the one to pay if he didn't keep his self-proclaimed vow to protect her. He pulled slightly closer to her as they turned a corner.

"So, what do you want to eat?" He started up a conversation to distract her if she had at all noticed his worry. Luckily, the feeling of hatred and envy that he'd sensed grew dim quickly, telling him that wherever it was coming from, it wasn't following him and Chihiro.

"Um, how 'bout pizza? I've always wanted to try that!" She told him with an oblivious giggle. Hakuno nodded, leading her the rest of the way to his studio apartment.

---

"Yeah, Rumi-chan couldn't come today, she thinks she caught something from her family, there's been something going around," Chihiro explained as she pulled a cheesy slice of pizza from its box. "She told me to apologize to you for her, but I kind of spaced it…" She looked with an expression of apology at the boy on the couch, who was taking a bite of his own pizza. Hakuno smiled back at her.

"That's alright, I didn't make myself too available today," He remembered that he had actually been nervous about seeing her that day, for some reason.

Chihiro chewed on her pizza in silence, remembering that she'd wanted to see this boy all day, and now she was finally there. How was she just going to bring up her loss of memory up to him with out seeming weird?

"You know, I'm glad I have friends here so soon," Hakuno said, lounging on his couch pillows. "I don't know if I've ever had any before…"

Chihiro stared at him for a moment, wondering what he meant. He looked pensive, staring at his ceiling and biting off more of his pizza.

"You don't know if you've ever had any friends?" Chihiro asked sadly. Hakuno turned to look at her. "You don't remember having any?"

"To be honest, Ogino-san, I don't remember anything past the evening before I first came to our class." He told her, surprisingly comfortable talking about it. "I simply woke up late that night, with nothing more than a name and the knowledge that I was a first-year student at our high school. Before that…" He trailed off. There was a few seconds of silence as they both pondered to themselves, his words hanging in the air above them.

"I know it seems strange, even for a case of amnesia…" Hakuno added, recalling the research he'd done the previous night on amnesia using some encyclopedias that he'd borrowed from his next door neighbor. Somehow, he just didn't seem to think that it fit with his symptoms, though the said encyclopedias hadn't provided enough information to make the proper assumption on the condition.

"So, nothing at all?" Chihiro asked, wide-eyed. Hakuno shook his head in confirmation. She set down her half-eaten slice of pizza and took in a deep breath. This seemed too surreal to be a mere coincidence, his total amnesia, and her loss of memories from some event only five years previous.

"I have something missing too…" She began quietly, leaning on her elbows on the coffee table. Hakuno froze, half chewed pizza still in his mouth, his gaze snapping back to her. "Something happened to me, five years ago, something big."

Hakuno swung his legs back off the couch, intrigued by this new found common ground. Leaning his own elbows on his knees, he looked at her intently.

"I know it was big, but I can't remember it. Anything." She told him, staring at the pizza box. 'It's like it's been blocked from my memory, somehow…"

"Was it something bad?" Hakuno asked, suddenly worried that Taro may not have been the first bad thing to happen to her.

"No, I'm sure that it was one of the greatest things to have ever happened to me, it…changed me…" She smiled lightly. "I used to be a bit of a brat before we came here, but then this thing happened, and my parents kept marveling at how I had changed…but I just can't remember a bit of it…"

"Aside from that, there's always been this loneliness that I've had, that's also since I've lived here. I think it might be connected to this thing that happened, looking on it now…At first I thought maybe it was just from being in a new place, with no friends yet. After a while, my little sister was born, and then Rumi moved here as well, right next door to me. It was a lot better living here after that, but I still felt empty…"

"Then, not even a year ago, me and Rumi met Taro, and he was interested in me. Rumi said I should give it a try, saying that maybe I just wanted someone to love, and to love me…" Chihiro trailed off. "It was ok, for a while, but there was still something missing. And now, I just feel like maybe I made the wrong decision all together. Like I've just been trying to fill up this stupid emptiness by trying to make myself fall in love with him…"

Hakuno's emerald eyes watched her as more tears became apparent in her own eyes. He'd sensed complexity when he'd first seen her, but he was amazed to see how deep it really went.

"I've thought about it a lot, but never so much as I have since I met you yesterday…" She said quietly as she looked at him shyly. "I feel like I've met you before, I just can't remember when." The words felt vaguely familiar as she said them, nearly a sensation of déjà vu.

Hakuno smiled lightly as he looked at her, relieved to hear that he wasn't the only one who thought a seemingly complete stranger was closer than first thought. Perhaps, now that she was assessing her own feelings with him, it was even more likely that they had met before.

The two's gaze at each other was interrupted by a musical sounding series of beeps coming from Chihiro's backpack next to her. She snapped with a start from her reverie, and pulled out her little silver cell phone, flipping it open with a snap and viewing the caller ID.

"It's my dad," Chihiro told Hakuno with a quick glance. "Hello, daddy?" She answered the contraption, putting it to her ear.

"I'm at a friend's house…Hakuno-san…Yes, daddy, he's a boy…No, it's alright, nothing's going on…" She stated the last words with a pink blush, getting awkwardly to her feet and pacing away from Hakuno, who followed with curious eyes. "Alright, I'll be home in a few, tell Rin-chan I'll see her in a second, love you, daddy," She pressed a button and flipped the cover over the phone, stuffing it in her skirt pocket. She turned, finding Hakuno staring at her curiously.

"Did I…get you in trouble?" He asked awkwardly, worried that her father was expecting the worst from him.

"No, no, not at all," Chihiro shook her head vigorously, her hair swishing from side to side. "He just told me that dinner was soon, and Rin wanted to play with me…He just asked, for good measures…heh, he doesn't trust Taro either, but now I'm not too sure that was off-base!" She added jokingly, trying to get a laugh out of her predicament. Hakuno couldn't help but smile at her.

"Sorry I couldn't stay longer," She said, packing up her things. She was glad to have had the chance for them both to work on their homework together during the wait for the pizza's arrival. Hakuno handed her the borrowed sweatshirt that was still on his couch where it'd been since he'd disappeared to the bathroom to change into his new, dry outfit, dark blue jeans and a traditional high-collared Chinese tunic of royal blue. He helped her with her packing, and then busied himself with stowing the leftover pizza in his refrigerator. He then saw her to the door, noticing that she now wore her father's sweatshirt, it nearly covering her black pleated skirt.

"So, what are you going to do about Taro?" Hakuno finally asked the question he'd been wondering all afternoon.

"Oh, I'll talk to him, tomorrow…" She told him quietly, inwardly telling herself that she should soon start preparing herself for that conversation with her boyfriend.

She had her hand on the knob, turning it, as Hakuno gently laid his own hand over them both on the edge of the door, catching her attention. She looked up at the boy, who was a head taller than her, catching his emerald eyes again.

"Ogino-san, If you need anything at all from me, any help with him," He told her gently but seriously. "I'll be there for you. Rumi too, I'm sure."

A blush accompanied Chihiro's smile as she nodded in understanding.

"Call me Chihiro, we are friends, after all," She added, smiling deeper. Hakuno stared at her for only a second, before displaying a smile of his own.

"Ok…Chihiro," He said quietly, his eyes carrying some sort of new emotion, his heart suddenly flooding with some familiar sensation. Something in the boy was awakening.

With their final good byes, the door closed between them, leaving Hakuno in his empty and somewhat meaningless apartment. He leaned again against the door, sliding to his door mat. His hunger previous to seeing her off had dissipated, with the sudden anticipation of tomorrow, the day that Chihiro would separate from Taro. After that, what would happen? He could become closer to her, find out what happened to him before the previous day, find out what happened to her; he knew that they were somehow connected by this amnesia.

"Chihiro…" he whispered her name again, getting the same sensations as he did before. That name held something very deep in his heart, he found just by speaking it.

---

"Hey, Rumi-chan!" Chihiro's head popped into her friend's room with a smile. "How are you feeling?" She came and sat on the floor next to Rumi's bed.

"Alright, a lot better than this morning," Rumi told Chihiro a little hoarsely, setting aside the tray that held empty dinner dishes and swinging her legs out of her covers to sit at the edge of the bed. "I swear, this bug came out of nowhere, I was feeling great last night!" She laughed a little, smiling under her remaining flush colored face. "Did Hakuno ask about me?"

"No, but he really didn't talk much today, really, just stuck with himself…I told him when I went to his apartment, though," Chihiro explained.

"You went to his apartment today? How was it?" Rumi asked, her eyes widening in curiosity. "How'd you end up there, anyway?"

Chihiro remembered the only reason she'd met up with him was from her running from Taro.

"Well, it's a little bit of a story…Starting with Taro…" she told her friend with a sigh. Rumi's eyebrow rose slightly, wondering what this could have meant. A story involving both those boys might not be very good, she had noticed the tension between them at the arcade the previous day. Chihiro proceeded to recite the story, from Taro at school to hanging out with Hakuno at his apartment.

Rumi stared at her, still aghast at Taro's behavior. She'd never seen him acting like that with Chihiro before, she doubted that they'd ever gone any further than kissing in the hallways, which wasn't all that common of an occurrence by itself.

"So, you're going to end it with Taro?" Rumi asked for confirmation, receiving a stiff nod from Chihiro. "Well, I guess that's for the best, if you really don't feel anything for him…And him pressuring you like that? Sheesh, I honestly didn't see that one coming when I met him…" She popped a piece of hard candy into her mouth, taking it out of her secret stash in her night table.

"Hakuno will definitely back you up, though," Rumi said, transferring the sweet in her mouth from one cheek to the other, oddly distorting her speech. "He really likes you, Chi," She stole a look at the girl on her floor, who began to blush.

"What you really think he does?" Chihiro managed to stammer nervously.

"Think? Heck, Chihiro, I know he does," Rumi lay on her side, supporting her head with her fluffy blue pillow. "It's so obvious, it's like he's sending it off in vibes," She giggled lightly, her laugh laced with traces of coughing.

"Oh, but I thought you … and him were…" Chihiro murmured, not wanting to upset her friend for anything in the world.

"Chi, don't worry about it. Hakuno's a sweet guy, he really is," Rumi smiled to her ceiling, swishing her candy around, still distorting her words. "But I sense something from the both of you, you guys have something…I don't have a clue what, but something tells me that you two…" She trailed off into silence, finally breaking it seconds later with a crunch of her candy.

"My instincts just tell me that Hakuno and Chihiro are meant to be, and that's that." Rumi munched on the shards of her candy.

"…Rumi…" Chihiro murmured, staring at her lap. She didn't know what to say to all of this, or how her friend was getting this amazing insight, assuming it was even right. Chihiro was too modest to even think that she'd be so blessed to have both someone who was meant to love her and be loved by her, and such a brilliantly generous friend. She watched as a couple of tears stained her denim pants.

"Chi, don't you cry, I like Hakuno, seriously, but I don't think I like him _that_ way," Rumi said, not looking away from her ceiling but somehow sensing her friend's tears. "I'll never feel the same way you do about him, by far. Don't you dare feel guilty about 'taking him from me'." She threw a smile at the brunette girl, and gave her a wink with her deep, sparkling eyes. Chihiro's flushed face lit up, and she pulled her friend into a deep embrace.

"Chi, seriously, you're gonna get sick if you hug me," Rumi laughed heartily, returning the hug.

"You're going to be at school tomorrow, right?" Chihiro gazed hopefully at her friend as they separated from each other, Chihiro gathering her coat that lay by the door. She truly hoped that both she and Hakuno would be there for her when she came back from the talk.

"Definitely!" Rumi gave her a thumbs-up and another wink as Chihiro started out the door. "I'll make sure that Taro don't do anything improper to my Chi!" She giggled with a slight cough.

The two friends gave each other one last smile as Chihiro continued out of the room and down to the door, where she was seen out by Rumi's mother. For once in her life, things were looking good, and somewhat starting to make sense.

-Catgirl-of-Bavaria-: ChiHaku fluff, yay! I'm sorry if the whole Rumi-Chihiro conversation sounded...forced? or whatever. I had to sort out the whole RumiHaku situation, and I wasn't going to have the story go towards an epic battle between best friends over a River God turned human…This seemed like the best idea! Heh. I hope you guys like it and aren't going to abandon the story due to said lack of epic battle…

Oh, and bad type of news, Buddha has yet to grace me with a muse to the face for the newest chapter for Dreams of Spirits…I believe I'm suffering from writer's block I deeply apologize and pray harder to said Enlightened One for inspiration and a cure to this bout of writer's block. I'm seriously not having as much trouble with this story, it's pretty close to being finished in the land of Microsoft Word. Dreams of Spirits is mostly planned out in my psychotic little mind, I know where I'm going, I just need this chapter to get me there, and Buddha seems to not be helping me out with creating it! Rawr! So, bear with me here, and I apologize to any DoS fans that may be reading this note.

And as always, thank you so much to each and every one of my reviewers! Keep reading and reviewing, Feedback good! Feedback good!

Your Bavarian Catgirl, over and out for the night!

.:Bows deeply and respectfully:.


	8. Help from Forgotten Friends

-Catgirl-of-Bavaria- : Ack, I can't believe it's already September! I'm so bored I have found myself actually wishing that I could still go to school… After graduate life is so boring if there's no college at the end of summer to look forward to…I still haven't found me a job, but my correspondence Economics course has come in the mail today. So, I guess the moral is, be careful what you wish for! I have been doing lots of fun stuff with my friends, like going to see movies (I've seen 2 in the past week. That is amazing for me!) with friends that I haven't been able to talk to, I've been hanging out with my best friend a whole lot. So, now on top of whatever we're going to be doing like that, I have my class to do. Therefore, not much time for updates and writing fanfiction…

And so, with this magical and I must say crazy chapter, I give you an extra update with it! Huzzah!

Chapter 7- Help from Forgotten Friends

A patch of fog seemed to spread and fade on the glass of one back window of the bright blue house on the top of a green hill. The little valley of a town seemed blanketed in thick fog, as one girl and one girl alone cared to notice.

Chihiro leaned her forehead on her window, breathing in deep, staring at the peace of the morning fog outside her window, her breath staining the window with foggy frost. Normally she'd use her fingers to write something out, an old childhood tradition, but the tension in her was too high to perform the ritual.

With a sigh, the teen turned and sank to the floor just beneath the windowsill, wrapping her arms around her knees. She knew what was coming today, and it made her slightly nervous. She knew that from Taro's perspective, this break would be coming out of nowhere, with the only explanation as being his advance on her the previous day. She knew it might be hard explaining her true feelings after mentioning Hakuno, as Taro was sure to be antsy about Hakuno's involvement. She hoped that Hakuno wouldn't be dragged into anything unnecessary that day.

"Onee-chan's awake again?" A small, tired voice came from Chihiro's door. Chihiro looked up to see Rin, still in her night clothes, clutching to a kitten teddy bear. Her small mouth opened in a gaping yawn as she continued into the room, dragging the kitten along.

"Onee-chan is getting better at waking up," Rin said, stopping next to her sister. Chihiro smiled up at the four-year old. She beckoned the little one to her arms, holding them out in front of her. Rin gladly obeyed, wrapping her own around Chihiro's neck. Chihiro held her sister close, letting her give her the strength to begin her day.

"Onee-chan, what's wrong?" Rin's quiet voice asked from Chihiro's shoulder, seeming to read the elder's stressful inward thoughts. Chihiro cradled her sister out to look into the little girl's innocent grey eyes, giving her a hopeful smile.

"Nothing that you need to worry about, Rin-chan." Chihiro reassured her just as the clock on Chihiro's nightstand began to beep its monotonous song. "Now you go get dressed, and I'll make you some miso soup, like yesterday, ok?" Chihiro brightened her face with the suggestion, beginning to crawl towards her beeping clock.

Rin's own face brightened at the mention of her favorite breakfast, imagining being able to eat it two days in a row. She scrambled to her feet and gave her sister one last hug before dragging her kitten out the door and down the hall. Chihiro smiled after her, admiring her little sister for her uncomplicated and innocent life.

She turned her head towards her closet, setting off to get herself dressed. She grabbed a fresh long-sleeved uniform top, and even felt like wearing the uniform blazer that day, as it looked and felt a bit colder than the previous day. Unfortunately the only school skirts she owned were the mid-thigh length ones, not exactly good for protection from the cold.

After a quick assessment of herself in the mirror, she decided to let her hair down for the day again, letting her hair tie ride on her wrist again. Somehow this made her feel more content than before about the commitment she'd made to talk to Taro.

Resolved as she could be, she set off with her book bag to prepare the miso soup for breakfast.

---

Hakuno fought his way through the crowded hallway towards his locker, feeling edgy and impatient with the swarms of erratic high school students that bustled in far too many different directions, clogging the hallway's traffic. He'd woken up that day just as edgy, anxious for the day to be over with. The first thoughts in his head were unsurprisingly about Chihiro, this time more worried than ever.

'I have to find her…' he thought to himself, shoving past a gaggle of oblivious and far too cheerful girls. He wanted to offer her support, even be there with her when the talk happened; He somehow sensed his trust in Taro sink even lower than it had been to begin with. 'I just have to see her before it happens…Before _something_ happens, anyway…'

Hakuno turned a corner into the hallway that contained his locker, set on retrieving his things as fast as he possibly could, then finding her on the way to class. Before he was even able to take two steps into the hallway, however, there was someone headed straight for him.

Hakuno's fierce emerald eyes locked on the boy in front of him, Taro, who was now approaching at an alarming speed, his face as expressionless as ever, but his eyes deeper, darker, and shadowed by the hair that hung in his face. Hakuno froze, not knowing what to expect from the elder boy. He sensed that same feeling of envy and hatred as he had on the walk home with Chihiro.

"Chihiro…He saw…" Hakuno inaudibly whispered, his fierce eyes not removing themselves from his opponent.

Taro drew closer, as Hakuno braced himself for the worst, still standing straight-postured, but firm. He watched as those shadowy eyes drew closer and closer, feeling his heart beat frantically in his chest.

Taro gave him one last glare, and shoved straight through Hakuno's shoulder with his own solid, well-built one. The force turned Hakuno around on the spot, and he stared after the guy, watching him shove through the rest of the corridor, until he was finally out of sight.

"Maybe she's already talked to him…Maybe that's why I sensed…" Hakuno tried to tell himself, continuing down the hall at as much of a run as he could manage through the crowd. Finally, coming to his locker, he noticed a brunette girl leaned, just four down, at an ajar locker, trying to hide herself in the thing, slowly transferring random books and notebooks to or from her bag. He couldn't see her face for the girl's lengthy brown hair that hung delicately in the way.

"Chihiro," He gently called to her, coming closer. "What happened…?" He awkwardly asked as her moist brown eyes turned to him. "Did you…tell him?"

Chihiro merely shook her head sadly. She tried to put on a smile, however easy it was to read past it.

"What'd he do to you?" Hakuno came just beside her, whispering gently, feeling more protective than he ever had.

"Nothing…He just told me to meet him at his apartment…this afternoon…" Chihiro whispered back, trying again to appear brave. Hakuno felt something in him, something that told him that the next time he'd see Taro, it may take some work to keep his seemingly plentiful self control in tact.

"I'll be ok, really, Hakuno, you don't have to worry…" Chihiro tried to comfort him, gently shutting her locker.

"You're going alone?" Hakuno asked her quietly, not liking the idea at all. "What if he tries something…?" Hakuno couldn't come up with a word that described his thoughts on Taro's possessive advances.

"I'll be fine, Hakuno…How about I come over to your apartment right afterwards? It's not too far from his." Chihiro offered, trying to make the situation better. Hakuno considered it.

"Only if you give me the address. If you're not at my place by an hour after school, I'll come for you, alright?" Hakuno negotiated, trying to get as close to this situation as possible, without ignoring her need for space. "And if he does anything to you…" He trailed off, hoping to the gods it wouldn't come down to a fight between himself and a second year who was nearly a foot taller than him and infinitely better built.

Chihiro thought for a moment and gave him a small smile.

"I promise." She told him as they started down the corridor to their classroom. Once joined with Rumi, the two began to calm down, settling into the classroom setting.

---

Chihiro stared at the door in front of her, fixated on a knot in the wood material. She'd just left Hakuno at the entrance to the building, albeit a very nervous one...

"_You're sure you want to do this alone, Chihiro?" he asked her, reluctant to leave the fifteen year old girl there alone. He hadn't seen Taro for the majority of the school day, which actually did no good in comforting the boy. He sensed that the older boy had spent his school day in this building instead, after he'd seen him in the hallway, anyway. Perhaps sulking, allowing himself to soak in his jealousy and controlling impulses, which showed no promise for Chihiro alone._

"_Yes, I have to do this myself, I'm the one who started it," Chihiro nodded confidently, trying to comfort her friend. _

_Hakuno smiled weakly at her. _

"_Just don't take any more time than you have to, okay?" He sighed. "And remember, after one hour, I'm coming back." He reminded the girl. _

_With their last smiles and goodbyes, the two split in their respective directions, Hakuno looking back frequently until the young teen had disappeared into the building. _

Chihiro gathered her eyes to the plain knocker, resolved, and fixed on the change that she'd initiate on just the opposite side. This was the changing of a chapter, the girls story was going to take a turn after this visit. Hopefully it would be a turn for the better and she'd be able to move forward. She slowly raised her hand, gripping the knocker lightly, and pulling it away from it's counterpart on the wood of the door.

_Knock knock_

The metallic sounds seemed to vaguely reverberate through the hallway's silence, and Chihiro heard the distant sounds of footsteps. The door swung open, somewhere between hurriedly and lazily, revealing Taro, still in his school uniform, his tie discarded somewhere inside, the top few buttons of his shirt undone, showing off the tanned crest of his torso.

"Can I come in…?" Chihiro asked somewhat awkwardly after he stared at her for a few seconds, expressionlessly. The thing about him was that Chihiro could never read him; he never really displayed his emotions. His eyes were hidden by his hair, which didn't exactly help her situation.

Chihiro felt her wrist fall into his grasp as she was pulled inside, the door being promptly shut behind her. His grasp didn't release as she felt herself backing the door.

"I saw you yesterday." Taro said simply, looming above the girl.

"You…saw…?" Chihiro repeated, figuring what he'd meant. Just seconds later, however, she realized. "Ha…Hakuno?" She whispered quietly, not expecting that to have happened. Taro merely nodded as he roughly let her wrist free.

"Yeah, Hakuno. What were you doing with him, anyway?" His voice sounded rough, accusatory. "Ditched me to be with him, huh?"

"Taro, don't tell me you're being jealous of Hakuno." Chihiro tilted her head slightly, looking up at the shadowed face of the boy, still leaning against the door above her, almost like how Hakuno had the previous night, but nowhere near as welcoming.

"Well, Chihiro, _should_ I be?" Taro raised an eyebrow. "You lied to me to hang out with that little headstrong punk."

"I didn't even plan on meeting him; it just happened after I left the school, we ran into each other!" Chihiro retorted, tired of the ridiculous accusations and envy that he was throwing at her. "I only lied to you because…I didn't like what was happening in that hallway…" She said quieter, awaiting his reaction. "And he's only headstrong 'cause he's worried about me! He cares about what happens to me!" She acknowledged his comment about Hakuno next.

Taro merely stared at her with this comment, pondering to himself.

"Why the Hell should he worry about you? It's not like you two have some sort of history or anything." Taro dismissed her comment. "You've only known each other for two freakin' days…"

"Actually, we do have something." Chihiro told him firmly, dropping her backpack next to the door and venturing further into her boyfriend's living room. She wasn't going to spend this entire conversation pinned to the door, that was for sure. Taro stared after her, assuming the 'worst', as he'd call it. "We do have something of a history. Neither of us remember it, but we agree with each other that we're somehow tied together in our pasts. We're trying to figure it out."

She sighed, preparing to transition into the primary goal of the talk. Crossing her arms and leaning on the back of the couch, trying to pick up the words that should come next. Before she could speak, however, she found something attached to her lips. Taro had seized her quick moment of pensiveness to sneak a kiss on her, deep and aggressive, and more of that lust than anything else. His tongue came uninvited into her mouth, taking it on itself to explore every bit of it. She felt his hands run down her hips, making for the hem of her skirt, his legs pressing hers into the couch. Wide-eyed and slightly thrown off, the girl raised her hands to push him away, but soon felt his hands wrapped around her wrists preventing any self defense. At least they were not on their previous path, she vaguely thought.

She struggled, trying to toss her wrists out of his firm grip. He only tightened his grip and pressed his lips further onto hers, leaning them both into an awkward position leaning over the back of the couch, making balance something hard to maintain, and easily lost. If she fell backwards on the couch, Chihiro knew that leverage would be working against her, and she'd be pinned to the couch by the larger and heavier boy. Not something desirable at all. As quickly as they'd found her, Taro's lips released her roughly, as he pulled back only slightly to look at her with his shaded eyes.

"Has Hakuno ever done _that_ to you?" He grimaced. Chihiro smelt his breath that was just lightly laced with something, a smell that was vaguely familiar…" Who cares if the twerp was in your past, _I'm_ your future."

"Taro, have you been drinking?" Chihiro suddenly distinguished the hint in his breath.

"Yeah, a bit, but I'm not nearly drunk enough…" Taro growled, his anger seemingly directed at a bottle of sake visible from their standpoint on the kitchen counter. "Come on Chihiro, forget that loser, I'm your future, and you're mine," He lusted, leaning into another one-sided kiss, mashing his lips against hers, trying to urge her noncompliant ones into response. This time the attack got the best of Chihiro and toppled the two over the back of the couch.

Chihiro gasped as she felt herself in mid-fall, that surreal feeling before you hit the bottom. The slender fifteen year old felt the breath rush out of her as she hit the seat of the couch with the muscular Taro falling on her, the pressure on her wrists growing greater with the fall, as if in reflex. His lips were still connected hungrily to hers, despite the fall and the fact that her own lip was now slightly bloody from his teeth making contact with the skin from the jarring fall.

'No…Come on, this wasn't supposed to happen!' Chihiro shouted in her head, not knowing how to get the boy off of her. She started to desperately struggle again, but his grip on her wrists only became harder, crossing the threshold into painful. Twisting her whole body this time, she found was unsuccessful. He had her perfectly trapped, the plentiful cushioning of the couch working against her cause.

Chihiro let out a helpless cry into Taro's mouth upon figuring that the boy had even somehow expertly pinned her legs to the top of the couch with his own. Taro grinned into her mouth, taking it as some cry of pleasure, and kissing her even harder, pressing her head slightly into the couch cushion. He calculated that her wrists were even small enough to be held in only one of his hands, and transferred her left hand into his own left hand, joining with her hair-tie clad right wrist. Using his now free hand, he started trying to undo the top button of her shirt, trying to coax his slightly inhibited brain into figuring how to do it with only one hand available.

'Oh Gods, someone help me,' Chihiro shouted in her head again, more desperate than ever, begging the gods themselves for something to happen, even for Taro's father to come bursting in…something. Anything. She felt the top button of her school shirt oblige to Taro's forcing…A tear beginning to fall down the side of her face, streaking for her hairline.

She suddenly felt something warm and tingly on her right wrist, leading her to think that the boy's hold on her wrists was starting to put the limbs to sleep. Glancing at her captive hands, she saw a faint purple glow, emitting from her right wrist. Wide eyed she stared as it suddenly flashed, sending a pleasant sensation through her.

Taro, however, seemed to have a different reaction, he released all at once her hands, mouth and the second button on her shirt, drawing back in shock and pain.

"Ow! Crap, what the Hell just electrocuted me!" He shouted angrily.

"Hah?" Chihiro gasped, staring at the hair tie on her wrist. Had it done that?

Taro was still on her, but suddenly doubled over in pain, the shock apparently echoing through him, some sort of punishment the tie had unleashed on him. Chihiro saw now that the second jolt had caused the boy to lean off to the side, giving her a wide open opportunity.

'**_Run_**.' Some foreign and distant voice seemed to tell her, perhaps coming from the hair tie itself. Chihiro was in no hurry to disobey.

She shakily pulled herself to the other end of the couch, gripping the armrest. Taro, who'd recovered again, grabbed her ankle, and in return received a quick and panicked kick from Chihiro to the shoulder. With another jolt of shock, the boy fell back again, holding his chest and shoulder. Chihiro leapt off the couch, her shin colliding squarely with the solid, weighty coffee table in front of it. She continued running, muttering a curse under her breath at the sharp and searing pains coursing through that area of her leg. She scrambled to the door, thankfully finding it still unlocked, and grabbed her bag. She turned back to face Taro, still doubled over on the edge of the couch, bewildered at the phantom pains that tore through him.

"Taro, I'm sorry it ended like this, but I can't keep leading either of us on! I'm sorry this all started because of my stupid emptiness, it's my fault, please don't take it out on Hakuno!" She yelled, trying to spit out everything she'd first planned on saying before he could catch up to her again. "It's over, you're not my future and I'm not yours! I'm sorry!"

With that, the girl whirled around, slamming the door shut behind her and ran with a bit of a limp from the pain in her leg. Already she was worn out; the encounter behind her had already knocked her off her regular breathing patterns. Tears streamed down her cheeks in droves now, recalling what may have happened, if whatever had saved her hadn't done so. She flew down the stairs, being careful to not let her now heavily bruised leg get the best of her and send her down the flight at a tumble. Staring at her wrists, she found that the pink and red was starting to blend in to purple and brown. Taro had really had a tight grip on her.

But it was over. It was done, and she'd gotten out of there long before the hour that Hakuno had allowed her.

She'd gotten out of there before he had taken total control over his advantage.

She stepped out onto the street from the lobby, into the cold and windy overcast world. She gave a shiver as a gust of wind swept her brown hair across her hazy vision. Whipping her pack around off her back, she took out her school blazer, tugging it on, glad she'd brought it. A little trickle of liquid ventured from her bottom lip, and bringing a hand to her chin, she found that her lip was still open and bleeding.

Chihiro determined the direction to Hakuno's apartment and started off shakily, wiping at her lip carelessly with the back of her hand. She still felt her legs in a limp, noticing that the bump had indeed turned into quite a nasty bruise. The wind continued to whip at whatever bare skin it could get to. Chihiro felt her vision grow hazier as she went along, gripping walls and signs or whatever she could to keep her balance.

Finally, as she had only made it halfway from Taro's to Hakuno's apartment, her legs gave way, sending her to collapse onto her folded legs, staring at the sidewalk below her, holding her stomach as if she was about to wretch. The streets were very bare that day, Chihiro couldn't determine if that was a good thing for her or not; she didn't want anyone but Hakuno, Rumi, Rin-chan or her parents touching her at this point, but if she were to faint here, how would she get to Hakuno's? What if someone found her, unconscious, and took her somewhere else, unknown to Hakuno? She didn't want Hakuno barreling into Taro's apartment if it wasn't absolutely necessary.

"H…Hakuno…" She whimpered, fighting her indecisive nausea and blurring vision, wishing more than anything that he was there with her, to comfort her, to take care of her. She was able to lean against the wall, still clutching at her stomach, tears pouring from her tightly lidded eyes to the concrete below.

"Ha…Kuno…." She groaned lowly, watching helplessly as her vision went dark, all of the stress, not only from Taro, but from the last three days, came flooding onto her, crushing her, bringing her to sickness and unconsciousness.


	9. Visions of Forgotten Meetings

-Catgirl-of-Bavaria- : I come bearing an extra chapter update! Part in apology for the late-ish update, part in anticipation of my homework keeping me busy… The last chapter was some crazy stuff, I admit, but here is a reward of some nice ChiHaku fluffiness, a mite sad at the beginning though it may be.

Oh, and about my other story, DoS…Unfortunately me and Buddha or Yuki-sama (My mouse spirit. He lives under my stove.) haven't been able to talk for a while, thus the muse that inspires my DoS writings hath not been thrown at my face yet. So, I will get it up and running again, when Yuki-sama decides to bless me. I should go make him an offering…Yesh… You all must think I am nuts, lol. Oh well. Anyway, I will return in a hopefully timely manner to post the next chapter, that depends on how merciful my Economics homework is. So, enjoy the chapters at hand until I may return!

Chapter 8- Visions of Forgotten Meetings

A boy peered back at Hakuno, wearing the same articles of clothing as he did, a pair of black denim pants and a silky jade Chinese shirt with long sleeves and patterns of intricate embroidery of black thread. The collars of both the boys' shirts were bordered with deep black piping, as well as the sleeves and the hem, which orbited their hips. Each of them wore a pale face, with a straight, thin mouth, and deep, intensely emerald eyes, eyes that were ridden with worry.

Hakuno turned from his full body mirror in frustration, disconnecting his staring contest with his reflection. He ran his hands through his blue forest hair, letting out a shaking sigh. It'd only been two minutes since he arrived home, only five before that that he'd left Chihiro alone to her business. He'd dug around in his closet a second after he'd gotten home, finding this outfit and putting it on, trying to find solace in his after school rituals to tie him over until Chihiro would –hopefully- come.

"Fifty minutes…" He muttered, and then hurried to his corner of a kitchen, pulling the fridge open, the machine showing him the leftover pizza he still had. He told himself firmly that he was hungry, though his last desire was to eat something, and grabbed a piece out of the box.

Taking a bite and chewing half-heartedly, he noted that pizza was infinitely better eaten warm. He tossed the food back into the fridge, not bothering to place it in the box, and let the door shut itself. He went back to lay himself out on the bed, closing his eyes, wishing it would be as simple as going to sleep and waking up a perfect hour later to the knock of the door. To open that door, and see a triumphant and smiling Chihiro on the other side.

Hakuno knew, however, that he was going to spend the remaining time of that hour worrying, wondering, fretting. He clenched and unclenched his fists, exercising them to pass some time. He glanced towards the window minutes later, asking the sky to provide rain that may console him in this stressful hour. He glanced at his simple alarm clock, determining that there was a half an hour left in Chihiro's time.

Standing, the boy paced around, making little circles around his coffee table. Somehow this waiting felt new to him. Perhaps this was his first time on the waiting end of something. Maybe the Hakuno of his past was more of a doer, he thought vaguely.

Out of his simple thought, came a sudden pang, it seemed to wrench both his heart and mind. He winced, clutching his head and chest, bewildered at what had just happened. Just a few seconds later, there it was again, clutching at him refusing to let go. He fought to stay on his feet as he felt something whisper through him.

'_Ha…Kuno…_' it seemed to whisper, just faintly. He'd more felt the whisper than heard it, but he wasn't in the mood for questioning his strange powers. He sensed just who the voice reminded him of.

"Chihiro!" He suddenly murmured. This was not good, the whisper sounded pained, even desperate. "What's that bastard doing to her!" Hakuno growled, bolting to the door, whipping on his boots, not even bothering with a coat.

He flew down the stairs, even gracefully skipping up to three at a time. It was a miracle he didn't fall, trying to do that. Hakuno tore through the building lobby, and out onto the street, heading straight for Taro's building.

He somehow managed to dodge traffic as he threw himself in front of it, not caring about the furious drivers honking their horns at him as if in attempts to make him better behaved, only caring about getting to Chihiro.

He ran down sidewalk after sidewalk, along the fairly straight path to the boy's apartment building. He ran around anyone who got in his way, his breath not seeming to be a problem for him. He figured that he should be panting for air by now, but felt not like questioning the miracle.

Ahead of him, he saw something, a shape on the ground at the side of a building. He was nearly halfway there by now, but that shape…

"Wait…" Hakuno's eyes widened as his stomach did a somersault in his gut, realizing what the shape was exactly. "Chihiro!" He yelled ahead, wondering why she was on the sidewalk.

He caught up to her, finding that she was unresponsive, and unconscious. She was curled against her knees, her upper body leaned against the brick wall, her arms draped around her stomach, her head pointed down. She shivered every now and then, she looked positively drained.

Hakuno stared, almost frightened by the sight. Finally, he snapped out of it, and knelt down next to the girl, brushing her silky brown hair out of the view of her face. He side stepped, to be directly in front of her face, and tipped her chin up, just gently. A deep red smudge spread from her lip to her chin, and he noticed her lip bore a small but significant cut, which was still calmly bleeding.

"Oh, Chihiro…" He breathed. It wrenched his confused heart to see this girl in such a condition.

Hakuno further examined the girl, noting that both her wrists were purple brown in bruises, and her right shin sporting a heavy, deep violet bruise. He gazed down at her leg, worrying about how it came to be. He decided that whatever had happened, whatever Taro had done to her, his retribution would have to wait until he was sure that Chihiro was safe and well.

He managed to hoist the light fifteen year old onto his back on his own, careful to gently drape her wrists in front of him, at the same time holding her thighs at his hips, leaning forward to let the girls weight keep her on his back.

_He was in water, he felt the light, almost non-existent weight of a very small girl on the back of his neck, clutching with small hands to his strong horns. He laughed as he continued to shore, seeing a tiny pink shoe float by above them on the surface of the water. He felt the girl nuzzle into his forest-green mane, almost afraid of letting go for being lost in his river forever._

'_Hold on, little one, you'll be back where you belong soon enough,' he had wanted to comfort the frightened girl. _

_Finally the weight disappeared from his back as he pulled himself onto the river, laying the girl, now unconscious, but peacefully breathing, out on the sandy shoreline. He felt his structure transform, morphing from that of a dragon into a human. He knew it might be a while before her parents would come looking for her, so he decided to sit next to her as she slept. The little one was no older than four, and looked positively angelic. The young boy reached out to stroke the girl's chestnut brown hair, before the sounds of panicked parents began to fill his senses, interrupting him. He transformed again with one last smile towards the little one, and dove into the river with a splash. The noise successfully drew the humans, and they ran to the little girl, who was now coming to, grabbing avidly towards her parents, tears staining her already wet face. _

"_Chihiro, Chihiro, we thought we'd lost you," the young dragon just opposite the surface of the river smiled at the reunion._

'_Chihiro. I shall always treasure that name, little one.' He sent to her, despite knowing humans couldn't receive messages from his types. He lazily swam off in his river, to find something to amuse himself._

Hakuno stared at the sidewalk, planted there, entranced in this new reverie. Had that been something of his own life? It had come out of nowhere, without any simple explanation.

Even more strange, how had he managed to be a dragon?

Hakuno mentally shook himself out of it, feeling Chihiro grow heavier on his back. The sooner she was in the shelter of his apartment, the better. She was sick, she needed shelter.

---

Hakuno had somehow managed to make it to the apartment with out running into any traffic; crossing the busy streets with a blacked out girl on his back might have proved to be a considerable feat. He'd taken advantage of the fact that his building had a lift, even though something about being in the little box that puttered slowly to his floor seemed vaguely unnerving to him.

He entered his apartment, finding the door still ajar from his earlier flight out of it. Hakuno let the girl sit on the edge of the bed as he turned around, gently settling her onto the bed, straightening out her limbs, making the pillow perfect for her. His hair fell gracefully into his face as he folded her hands gently over her stomach, careful not to touch the purple bruises on her wrists.

He left her side, only to return seconds later with a large blue shawl, hand-knit and woven into complex patterns, all made from shades of blue. He draped it over her, surprised but relieved to find that the shawl provided cover all the way to the girl's ankles. It hadn't seemed that large to begin with.

Hakuno retreated to the kitchen with one more survey of the girl. It was so strange to see the lively girl so burnt out. So hurt.

"What did Taro do to her?" Hakuno inaudibly growled, wringing out a washcloth in the sink with malice.

The boy took to her lip, now wiping the blood from her chin and the cut itself. The wound had finally settled down. Flipping the cloth so he now held the bloodstains and displayed the clean untainted side to Chihiro, he began to dab at her warm forehead, her cheeks, dabbing up all of the dried tear stains.

He straightened up, seeing how much better she looked now that she was cleaned up, even if the little cut on her lip was fighting to be noticed with its swelling.

He took her newly cleansed cheek in his palm, trying somehow to connect with the girl, let her know that he was there, and she was safe under his care.

_He tread carefully, silently, through a valley of patterned futons, ignoring all of the snores from the females around him. His footsteps were muffled by the cushioning of the futons below, a calculation on his part. He knew that she'd heard him enter, though. He sensed that she was faking her slumber, as if he'd turn her in for not being asleep during the day. He made his way to her, and leaned down into a kneel just next to her. He very gently laid a hand on the futon that just covered her cheek, pressing lightly. He coaxed his voice to sound gentle, inviting. _

"_Meet me by the bridge. I'll take you to your parents." He whispered to her, before gently removing his hand from her blanketed cheek. He felt the fear in her start to ebb, finding that he meant no harm to her. _

_He retreated to the sliding paper door that he'd come through, giving one last glance at the girl who still lay frozen, frightened almost, still pretending to be asleep. She'd gotten the message, though, he knew. With that, he turned silently to go to the meeting place at the bridge._

Hakuno drew his hand back, suddenly, seeing another vision. It seemed to be some memory, but the setting was so alien to him…yet so familiar. And she was there.

"Chihiro…" Hakuno breathed. He knew the girl in the futon had been her. He'd touched her cheek, like he just had in the present. The person he was in that vision was obviously him, albeit younger feeling, his voice not quite matured as it was now.

And what of her parents? Had they been in danger somehow?

He looked sadly at the girl, thinking of how these visions were creating more questions than answers. Hakuno sank into a seat on his nightstand, setting his clock on the windowsill above the bed, keeping watch over the girl, waiting for her to wake.

---

Chihiro's eyes slowly fluttered open, seeing above her a ceiling instead of an overcast sky. Her brown eyes blinked, recalling something in her dreams. Two things, actually, that stood out among all the other nonsense that her brain had come up with during her unconsciousness.

First she was four years old again, riding underwater on the back of a dragon. The dragon took her to shore, and her parents had found her. Under careful thought, she realized that the dragon had been _that_ dragon, silver-white scaled, with a gorgeous forest-green mane.

The second being her ten year old self, pretending to be asleep in her futon, fighting the pains her stomach and heart were giving her, fighting the fear. Thinking about her parents, pitifully, as if they were in danger. A boy she knew came in and gave her a message, seeming to calm her with his touch to her cheek. He told her to meet her at a bridge, that he'd take her to her parents. She knew his voice. The boy's voice rang through the teen's head, the familiarity was haunting.

Chihiro tore herself out of her thoughts and decided that she'd probably do well to figure out where she'd ended up. She sat up, peering around the empty looking apartment, knowing her surroundings instantly as Hakuno's apartment.

She glanced around, finding no boy. She set her feet on the floor, finding her bookbag neatly placed next to the bed. She took off the blazer that she still wore and her school sash, setting them on the pack, leaving her in her remaining button up shirt that was tailored to her shape, making it equally sharp-looking and comfortable. She stood up, smoothing out all the creases in the shirt and her black skirt, and set out to find where the boy Hakuno had gone.

"Chihiro?" A voice asked gently from behind her before she had even begun the search. She whirled around, nearly stumbling for the bruise that reminded her of its existence on her right shin.

Hakuno stood, just inside a patio door which lay between the bed and the kitchen, looking at her, half-worried, half-relieved. She thought his outfit stated him perfectly, his jade Chinese top that complimented his emerald eyes and showed off his gently masculine form. She always thought he'd look good in those types of clothes.

"Hakuno," Chihiro stated plainly, glad to see him more than anything. "How did I get here?" She asked him, honestly curious.

"I carried you," Hakuno said, sliding the door shut and coming into the room. "I found you blacked out about halfway to Taro's. I…felt you call for me. So I ran over there, but I found you along the way." He explained shyly, as if worried that she'd shun him for supposedly 'feeling' her call to him.

"You heard me?" Chihiro asked curiously, remembering barely uttering his name to the sidewalk in her pain.

"More like felt it. I got this pain, about half an hour after I left you, and I sort of…felt it. It's really hard to explain…" Hakuno looked at his hands, as if asking them how to best explain it. "I can sense a lot of things, somehow. It's like something of a sixth sense…"

Hakuno looked up at her suddenly.

"But enough about me, how are you feeling? What happened at Taro's? What did he do to you?" He enquired urgently, but amazingly calm. Chihiro was taken off guard, but sank into a slight smile, leading him to sit with her on the couch.

She explained everything about the scene at Taro's, listing every possible aspect that she sensed, physically or intuitively. She mentioned every detail about what Taro had done in his slightly-drunk lust, not out of desire to discuss it, but out of not wanting to leave Hakuno in the dark about anything.

Most intriguing to discuss and relive, was the curious way she'd managed to escape. She told the boy about the glowing hair tie, the jolts of pain that shook Taro and gave her the chance to run, a chance that may have not presented itself at all, if not for the miracle. Someone was looking out for her in that meeting.

"So, if he was sort of drunk…is it possible that he didn't register what you said to him at the end?" Hakuno asked, leaning on his knees, staring pensively at the hardwood floors below, analyzing the situation.

Chihiro considered it, knowing that she hoped he'd heard it and registered it through the alcohol and pain, at the same time knowing that Hakuno's suggestion was also entirely possible.

"I hope he did, I don't want to do that again." She told him, putting a finger lightly to brush her wounded lip. It had sealed itself but still felt exceedingly noticeable, as if it had swollen to draw attention to itself.

Hakuno sat on the other half of the couch, tense and still thoughtful, compared to Chihiro who had sprawled herself out on the cushion, resting her head on the back of the plain couch, arms draped over it as well, her legs laying however they'd ended up over the edge of the seat. She knew Hakuno was thinking hard about how to completely get her out of this rut, but she couldn't help but want to forget about it until the next day.

Not to say that she wasn't worried, her own heart bore a good share of that weight, not just Hakuno's. She just didn't want to think about it to the point of exhaustion or possibly over-reaction. She didn't want to, and yet, whenever she tried to change the subject, something always came back, always the same thing.

"He's going to come for you, Hakuno…" Chihiro murmured, remembering the all too recurring memories of Taro's hostility to her friend. "I think I may have gotten you into something bad…" She nonchalantly noticed that tears were tugging at her eyes, threatening to fall, make her fall with them.

Hakuno took his chin from his hands and looked at the girl, immediately sensing the overwhelming stress coming from her. He sensed tears, unshed and not yet seen, but soon to come. He scooted just closer to her, ready to catch the tears when they made their existence visibly known.

"Chihiro…It'll be fine…" he tried to soothe her, not exactly sure himself how things would turn out. The girl dragged her head up from the soft back of the couch, looking at him with moist brown eyes, the tears starting to collect in the corners of her eyes.

He gave her a smile and put his hands on either shoulder comfortingly bringing her closer to him. The touch felt welcome and warm to Chihiro, much better than anything ever shared in the best of times with Taro. Even for such a simple gesture.

"Don't worry about me, Chihiro. I'll be fine. And I'm going to make sure that you'll be alright," He assured her, connecting with her through eye contact.

_He held her shoulders from the side as she stared at him, her eyes moist. It was different, she was now wearing a curious outfit of bright pink, him in a similar outfit of white and blue. Her face was young, that of a ten year old, her cheeks rosy. They seemed to be in a garden of sorts, at least it appeared so; there were walls of flowers behind where they had crouched in the green, well-kept grass. _

_He held a rice cake in offering in his hand, a large portion. She stared at it, then back at him._

"_I put a spell on it. It'll give you back your strength," He encouraged her. She finally took the morsel from his extended hand._

_She was nibbling into a rice cake now, gazing at the ground in front of her. Tears began to collect, falling in huge amounts, as she sank into sobs, biting off more and more of the rice, hungrily. He'd told her she was hungry. He rubbed her shoulder lightly with his hand, consoling the young girl that had sank to unhindered tears, taking rotations in eating the rice and letting out sobs. _

"_See? You'll be alright," He told her gently, telling the girl that it was okay to cry there for a while. She needed it. It wasn't ordinary by any means for a human's parents to turn into pigs._

'Pigs?' Hakuno thought, confused and suddenly releasing the girl next to him on the couch. These visions were getting stranger the more he had them.

Chihiro gazed after him, wondering what had just happened. She'd seen herself as a ten year old again, with a boy, but the vision had cut itself off before she could totally see his face, identify him from any memory.

Before she had time to venture further into the matter, however, the tunes from her cell phone went off, beckoning her attention to it. She glanced back towards Hakuno as she dug through her bag, and the boy had wound up in the kitchen, apparently rummaging for food. He'd sent himself over in the awkwardness of the suggestion of pigs in his mind. The vision had only lasted a couple of seconds at most, but it seemed to be greatly nerve-wracking, blanking out while looking at her, trying to comfort her. Hidden from Chihiro, his face was a deep pink.

"Hi dad," Hakuno heard Chihiro answer her phone across the room. The time had made it to be six o'clock, he noticed; it was probable that she was being called for dinner.

"I know, I'm sorry, it…kind of slipped my mind. I'll be better about it next time." Chihiro told the mouth piece, with a hint of shame. "It's been a long day. I'll be home in a minute to make dinner for Rin, don't worry, I'll hurry."

With that, she bid her father farewell and flipped the phone shut, dropping it into her bag and sitting on the bed with a sigh.

"I gotta go," She told Hakuno the obvious fact, pulling on her boots and turning into her black school blazer. She stuffed her uniform sash into one pocket of her bag and lifted herself, flinging the thing over her shoulder, and coming to realize that Hakuno was right in front of her. "I forgot, my parents are going to some meeting tonight, and I have to watch Rin-chan"

"You're sure you're alright?" He asked her, afraid to imagine her becoming weak along her way home and collapsing somewhere away from him. "You don't want me to walk you home?"

"No, Hakuno, it's fine, I'll be alright, I've recovered since I got here." They walked to the door, closer to each other than before. Hakuno opened it for her, and she stepped into the doorway, both still in their goodbyes. He leaned against the door jam, smiling down at her. She was the best thing for him, he knew, gazing into the deep browns of her eyes.

"What about your injuries?" Hakuno indicated her bruised leg in particular. It was going to be a chore to hide, with a skirt and only ankle-high boots. She'd have to make it to her room without her parents or Rin seeing it, and switch into jeans or something. For her wrists, long sleeves might have been too risky, but she knew of some wristbands she could use. "How will you explain them…?" He asked, worried, taking a small step towards the girl.

"I'll…think of something on the way home, I guess," She smiled nervously looking at the boy's face that was merely a half a foot away.

"Just be careful on the way," Hakuno worried over her. "Go straight home. If you need me, you know how to reach me." He smiled, throwing her a wink. He felt the urge to get closer to the girl still. She smiled up at him, a light blush playing across her face.

"Thank you for everything, Hakuno, you're a good friend," She said fondly, her chocolate eyes sparkling.

Hakuno found himself leaning closer still to the girl, actually tipping his head towards hers. She finally caught what her friend was doing, and blushed, admitting to want it as much as he apparently did. Hakuno's hand slowly rose to the goal of cupping her cheek, his eyes sliding shut. Chihiro felt his lips only just barely brush her swollen ones, their breaths mingling for just a second, before…

"Hakuno!" A young man's voice channeled its way through the hallway, bouncing off the walls. Hakuno pulled away, startled, and lifted his head to peer above the top of Chihiro's, his hand caught in mid-air, nearly to the girl's cheek.

Chihiro whirled around to see a handsome young man, who looked young, perhaps somewhere in his early twenties. He was running at the two teenagers, his shaggy chin length dyed hair swinging in and out of his face. His angular face looked flushed, he'd obviously just run up the stairs to find Hakuno, for some reason. He was dressed simply, with baggy blue jeans and a tight-fitting black T-shirt.

"Hakuno, it's terrible," He panted, stopping just short of Chihiro. She turned to see Hakuno's reaction, but he seemed to be staring off nonchalantly, with a deep red color splashed across his face. He had jammed his hands in his pockets, and Chihiro suppressed a giggle at how cute he looked, trying to deny what he and Chihiro had nearly done.

"What's terrible, Manoro?" He sighed, still not making eye contact with the other two in the hall.

"It's the first of the month, and the landlord's on his way up to collect all the rent…" The man called Manoro straightened up, explaining. "I don't have mine again this month, I'm gonna have to ask for another extension! He ain't gonna like this!"

"And you are telling me this, why, exactly?" Hakuno suddenly looked, narrow-eyed at the older man, raising a quizzical eyebrow. "I don't have to worry; my first rent is already paid for." He continued nonchalantly, crossing his arms.

"Hey, who's the chick?" Manoro suddenly asked, noticing Chihiro's quiet form, small against the doorjamb of Hakuno's apartment door, gazing back at the man's deep blue eyes that surveyed her.

Hakuno's stern hand came up at a smart smack behind the man's violet-dyed head, mussing hair and tipping the disrupted face of Manoro forward, drawing his gaze from Chihiro.

"Don't call her a '_chick_'." Hakuno commanded with a cold voice, rejecting the strange slang. His face was still light red, leftover from his initial blush. "And she's a friend, that's all you need to know at this point, Manoro." He continued sternly, keeping his neighbor in his control.

Manoro pouted at Hakuno, rubbing the back of his head.

"Do I at least have your blessing to introduce myself?" Manoro whined, combing back his messy but beautiful purple hair back. Hakuno stared at him, almost suspiciously, and reluctantly nodding. He'd had the girl to himself just seconds ago, what had happened to that?

"Just make it quick, she has to get home soon, to watch her little sister." Hakuno stated, wanting truly to lock the man in his own apartment until he properly saw Chihiro off.

"Great!" Manoro turned to Chihiro, sinking into a bow. "Manoro Takashita, age twenty-one, college student, _single_—" Hakuno gave him another swift motion of his arm, sending the man's hair to muss again, at the last acknowledgment, one he felt was too insinuatingly stated.

Manoro gaped at the boy, whining about things like 'what was that for' and 'I didn't deserve that!' The younger male rolled his emerald orbs, watching a ritual that had somehow become regular in the last three days of his existence in this town. Hakuno glanced at the bewildered Chihiro, still shrunk into the door frame, his gaze immediately softening. He nodded at her, telling her it was a good opportunity to get going with his eyes.

Chihiro smiled a little, clutching her back pack straps at her shoulder, and nodded. She mouthed a quick 'see you at school', and set on her way down the hall to the stairs. Behind her, cries could still be heard from the man called Manoro.

"Aw, why'd you send her away, Hakuno?"

"To get her away from your pitiful influence," Hakuno's colder voice sounded.

"Eh, crap. I still need to get that money…How am I supposed to pay rent when I have so much tuition to pay?" Manoro whined, apparently back on the subject of rent.

"Move in with your parents." Hakuno taunted calmly, as his voice grew into a distant echo as Chihiro went down the stairs, suppressing giggles about the two men.

"Nah, they kicked me out a while back. I believe the last thing they said to me was, 'never come back, you cheap lazy bum!'" the elder's echo had adjusted his voice into an imitation of some old woman's.

"They were right on, weren't they?" Hakuno's distant echo managed to laugh at the elder.

Chihiro smiled as she stepped out of the lobby, stepping into the already darkening outside. She set off towards her house, hoping that something of an excuse would come to her about the bruises. The last thing she wanted was her parents being drawn into all the drama with Taro, and undoubtedly into the whole amnesia thing.

-Catgirl-of-Bavaria- : Oh, they were soo close! Lol I am liking the character Manoro, he's some fun to write He could be popping up later on… .:Shifty eyes:. I like Rin-chan's character too, I am sad that I don't write more of her…ah well, We definitely haven't seen the last of her, either! .:Hugs all reviewers:.


	10. A Crack in the Barrier

-Catgirl-of-Bavaria-: So It's been more than a week since I updated, probably the longest time of neglect that this story has seen, right? Haaah, gomen nasaii. But, like I said last update, I got my correspondence class in the mail last update, and that has unfortunately kept me busy…erm, most of that time being spent just trying to badger my brain into focusing on the task at hand instead of daydreaming…I've been doing that far too much for my own good lately, I have so many ideas for this new manga of mine bouncing in my head that it monopolizes the use of my brain that should be used to get my class crap done… -Sigh- What a terrible time to be so inspired…-sob-

In fact, I should be doing my homework as I write this, because I didn't get anything done yesterday because I got an issue of Shojo Beat that kept me busy and reading and fantasizing about Japan and getting addicted to a series called Vampire Knight… Ack, and Odosan is going to be home soon! Eep! So, I will shut myself up here and let you guys read the next chapter, and feign doing my homework –Ninja shifty eyes- Anyway, I love you guys for reviewing and reading my story, and I will be back when I can! –Huggles everybodyz-

Chapter 9- A Crack in the Barrier

"Gaah! Cold COLD!" Chihiro cried, leaping from her emerald sheets and out of her slumber. Water trickled down her face and through her hair, her shirt was soaked again. She peeled the wet material of her flannel sleeping shirt from her body as she knelt away from the water stained pillow at the head of her bed.

A little girl stood, her arms crossed sulkily over her pink sweater, an empty and dripping cup in one hand. Rin wore a look of slight satisfaction at the waking of her older, lazier sister. Her mahogany hair was sloppily pulled into a ponytail, as she had done it herself, and it wasn't something she was very good at.

"Finally, Onee-chan," she scolded her sister, Chihiro throwing her a grimace. "You're even later than usual today, I even got dressed while I was waiting for you."

"Aw man, and I just washed my sheets from the last time…" Chihiro grumbled, pulling herself out of her green nest and poking the soppy pillow case and comforter. "Aright, Rin, I'm awake already…" She trudged over to her wardrobe, wiping the water from her face and wringing out some strands of hair.

The young girl rolled her bright grey eyes and vanished off to see if she could prepare her bowl of cereal herself. Chihiro basked in her aloneness, reflecting on the previous day, preparing for what she may have to repeat, had Taro indeed not gotten the message. She grabbed two wristbands from the desk drawer that she'd doubled as something of a jewelry box, and pulled them gently onto her wrists, relieved to see that the purple bruises weren't visible. Luckily the previous night she'd managed to dodge her parents up to her room where she had put her long PJ pants on, and hide her wrists beneath some extra long sleeves of a sweater.

She snatched some knee high socks that would hide the uglier bruise on her shin, and pulled them on as well. Now she moved onto the rest of her uniform, once more the warm version of it, paired with the blazer, as the fog had come for a third visit outside her window. The outside world was a little brighter than most mornings, so Chihiro hastened up, figuring that she must have been later then even her late wakings.

"What…" Chihiro suddenly mumbled, noting that her purple hair tie wasn't on it's normal place on her desk. Suddenly, thinking on it, she realized that she hadn't set it there the previous night like she normally did. She recalled lying in her bed, late that night in the dark, just staring at it as it caught even the slightest light from the moon or streetlights outside. "My bed?" Chihiro flustered, leaping at her emerald comforter and sheets, searching left and right for the woven band.

"Onee-chan, what are you doing?" Rin's voice came from the door as Chihiro lifted her fluffy pillows one by one, her comforter now discarded on the floor.

"L-Looking for something…" Chihiro whined, throwing herself under the pillows that covered the head of her mattress. "It's gotta be here somewhere!" she felt her hair grow static from her self burial in the fluffy fabrics, searching every inch. She had to wear it, she just had to! The meeting with Taro had proven that her obsession with the band hadn't been unfounded. She still didn't understand it completely, but it was all she had, besides Hakuno, who couldn't be there with her all the time like that band could.

She grew desperate, emitting little whimpers as she pulled herself from the pile of pillows, her hair fluttering out of control. Rin, meanwhile, caught glimpse of a purple shimmer from beneath Chihiro's bed. Chihiro watched, bewildered as the little one scrambled under the bed, awkwardly squeezing into the confined space. She scooted on the dusty floor past an old shoebox, and reached for the shimmering material. Chihiro leaned over the side of the bed, watching the floor just where the little girl had scurried under it.

"Is this it?" Rin asked hopefully, popping her head and shoulders out from under the bed, somehow having transferred to her back on the way out. In her extended hand, Chihiro spotted a small and friendly shimmer of violet, emitting from a woven band of purple thread.

"Y-Yes!" Chihiro exclaimed, taking the tie from her little sisters small hand. "You found it!" She would have hugged her sister that moment, had she not been still mostly under the bed.

"You were freaking out over that little thing?" Rin asked quizzically, pulling herself out from the overhanging bed frame. She brushed the dust sloppily off of her pink sweater and blue jeans, looking curiously at her sister Chihiro, who was now holding the band between her lips, and straightening out her hair with her hands.

"Why do you like that thing so much? You've had it forever!" Rin continued.

"I really have no clue," Chihiro told her sister honestly and just as curiously. She wrapped the hair tie in question around a collection of her now smoothed out brunette hair, masterfully twisting it around in her fingers. "But still, I just somehow can't throw it away…" She sighed, getting to her feet.

"Come on, we're later than usual today…Did you eat breakfast?" She took her younger sister's hand into her own and led the girl down the stairs. Rin nodded. "You put the milk away, right?" Chihiro enquired further, acting more like a big sister than she had for a while.

"Yes, Onee-chan…" Rin sighed exasperatedly, tugging her arm through the sleeve of her jacket. Chihiro just noticed the girl's ponytail, a messy one to begin with, but probably further ruined by her venture under the bed. She shouldered her bag and tugged the hair tie gently out of her sister's hair.

"Hey, what the…?" Rin said, surprised and reaching back at her hair.

"Hold still, I'm fixing your hair," Chihiro assured her. The stubborn little girl folded her arms again, muttering something like 'I don't need any help…I'm four years old…' Chihiro grinned as she took the little hair tie from her mouth, replacing it in the sienna brown curtain of hair, dragging her hands around the silky locks to the ends. "There. Now let's get out of here before I get a detention."

She turned towards the door just as Rumi rang the bell from the other side, twice and urgently, obviously also in fear of receiving a detention.

---

Chihiro sat, bored in her seat, listening to some lecture on some piece of literature. Something about a guy named 'Shakespeare'. She doodled on her notes again, the same dragon again, the same one that appeared at least once on each page of her notes. She was getting quite expert on this doodle, leading her to vaguely think about getting into art just to draw bigger and better pictures of that dragon. Her cheek lay mashed onto her hand as she wrote some distant piece of information that she'd actually caught into her notes, sloppily and near illegible, a mess compared to the amazingly detailed doodles in her margins.

She glanced at Rumi, just a few seats up and the next row over. She was apparently sleeping behind her propped up book, a common trick in the classroom. It was hard for Chihiro to tell if Ryumi-sensei noticed and just didn't care, or if he was just clueless. Luckily she hadn't gotten detention for tardiness,—she and Rumi had just barely made it in- but her lack of completed homework over the past few days had added up enough to qualify her for a detention nonetheless.

She'd remembered just earlier, at the homework call, Ryumi had singled her out, asking her publicly where her assignments were. She recalled sheepishly apologizing for the absence of her work, promising to get better at doing her work, meanwhile silently cursing him for the all too public assignment of detention. She'd looked back at her dragons, after just catching Hakuno's glance from her left, an awkward kind of 'You'll be fine' look. His eyes, comparable to Taro's, were so expressive that he didn't even need words sometimes.

She looked over at him in the present, and he was contrastingly intent on the lecture, pensively staring at the sensei as he mentioned something from a play called 'Hamlet', tearing his eyes away every now and then to write something down. So focused and oriented, as opposed to herself or more accurately, Rumi.

She let out a silent sigh, giving up on making eye contact with her friend beside her, and began to stew things over in her own mind. Reviewing the last few days, surveying her feelings, trying to bring back every detail of those visions she'd had when she was with Hakuno. She thought about Taro, who she hadn't seen that day. She was still worried that the combination of drunkenness and shocking pain had worked together in not allowing her shouting to penetrate his mind. She thought about the possible prospect of having to repeat herself later that day.

She was just grateful that today she'd have Hakuno with her, as well as Rumi. She reassured herself that she wouldn't step one foot into Taro's building again.

---

Hakuno made his way to his locker again that day, Rumi and Chihiro by his side. The day had gone by terribly slow, and he was glad to be able to get out of the stress of the classroom lessons, able to have time with Chihiro and Rumi, the lights of his life. The two were contemplating what activity they wanted to partake in after they left school. They only had one more class to endure, and they were currently on one of the periodical breaks that the school schedule had allowed the students.

The halls were packed, hectic, and deafening, as usual, but Hakuno was slightly more at ease with the chaos, now that the two girls he'd befriended were with him, and he wasn't so worried and tense about Taro. He hadn't seen Taro all day, and thought maybe he was skipping that day, after the break up on the previous day. He smiled to himself, hoping that Chihiro's words had indeed soaked in, despite the young man's tipsiness.

"Hmm, you got any new video games, Chi?" Hakuno heard Rumi ask Chihiro from beside him.

"Ah, no, all the same old ones that we've already beat three times over…" Chihiro sighed, folding her hands behind her head.

"Yeah, me neither. The stupid things are so expensive…" Rumi joined her friend in a sigh. "Ooh! I know, we could show Hakuno the mall! Window-shopping and laughing at people that are funnier-looking than us! Yeah!" Rumi suddenly lit up, punching the air enthusiastically.

"The mall?" Hakuno enquired, curious as to what it was.

"Yeah, they're big shopping places with lots of stores, for clothes, mostly. The idea comes from America, I hear they've got them _everywhere_ over there." Rumi said knowingly. "The stupid things are huge over there too, we've just got a small one in the next town over, but still it's pretty much the same. What do you think?"

"Um, sure," Hakuno said, uncertainly, but eager still to hang out with them free of Taro.

"Alright! Chi? How 'bout you?" Rumi squealed, turning to her girlfriend.

"Sure!" Chihiro brightened, extremely eager to do something fun other than fretting over events and lost memories.

"Alright, so after next hour, we all meet by Hakuno and Chi's locker and we'll go to the mall!" Rumi confirmed bouncily.

They continued walking aimlessly through the hallways, Rumi and Chihiro listing off the sorts of stores they had in the shopping mall, at least the ones they remembered, to Hakuno, trying to find his interests; Interests that he himself didn't really even know. The bell was soon to ring, so they aimed themselves into some round-a-bout way to get back to class.

Something slipped into Hakuno's senses as they proceeded through a locker-bordered hallway, something urgent, something troubling. Something behind him and his two friends…

"Chihiro." A deep voice commanded from behind the group, sending a wave of frustration and anger through Hakuno, a wave of fear through Chihiro.

The group turned, seeing that the voice indeed matched up with Taro, just a foot from where they stood, standing tall with his arms folded in his signature pose across his broad chest. His black school blazer made his shoulders look even more square than they naturally were as they looked up at him. Hakuno's hair glinted in front of his ferociously gleaming eyes as he peered with hostility at the older boy.

'He hurt Chihiro. He's the reason those bruises are there. This bastard does not even deserve to _look_ at her after that!' Hakuno furiously thought to himself, resisting the urge to smite him with those exact words.

"About yesterday." Taro continued, once more showing no emotion. Chihiro eased, but only slightly. Perhaps he was apologizing for his actions? She could only hope. Taro continued, however, dashing those hopes.

"I'm not giving you up that easily." His dark eyes narrowed beneath his curtain of raven hair. "I'm not giving you up to this little shrimp." He gestured towards Hakuno, who was just boiling beneath his surface, but managing to keep a calm, straight-postured composure.

"That is not for _you_ to decide, Taro." Hakuno told the elder firmly, coldly. "You had your chance to make Chihiro happy, but you only hurt her with your idiotic envy." His own emerald eyes narrowed, giving the boy a very menacing aura.

The hallway around them had almost become quiet, students flowing a good distance around the scene, many taking glances, some whispering to their friends. There were obviously rumors being ignited in that hall, and the students sensed a fight brewing, as if it were a sixth sense that blessed each and every high school student on earth. Some paused, some contemplated between getting to class and staying to see some action.

The girls in the middle of the scene, Chihiro and Rumi, had joined together, Rumi grasping her friend protectively, sending a glare of her own at Taro, as if daring him to come any closer to her friend. Her deep eyes were narrowed as well, showing the same hate for Taro's abusing of Chihiro.

"Who the Hell asked you, you little punk?" Taro shot back at the boy with malice. He turned back towards Chihiro. "Like I was saying, it's not over, and you're still my future."

Chihiro stared back at him. So he did remember some of the previous day. If only he'd seen how much he'd hurt her. He was still so unreadable. Why wasn't he taking the break up? Why was he causing a scene over it?

"You're going to have to find a different future, Taro." Rumi beat Chihiro to the punch, glaring the guy down, gently tightening her grip on Chihiro's shoulders. "Chihiro doesn't want this anymore. She's sorted out her heart; I suggest you do the same before you hurt her again."

Taro's dark, unreadable eyes turned towards Rumi, sending a vicious glare at her. They had all turned on him, in just a matter of days. He'd been on top of the world, in control just the other day. He was used to being cast away, pushed under, and he didn't like the feeling at all. He didn't want it to happen again in this way.

The larger boy took a few steps towards Chihiro, as Rumi noticed and drew Chihiro back, matching Taro's steps. Hakuno's eyes suddenly glinted, and he found himself situated straight between the girls and Taro. He'd dreaded this moment for the last few days, dreaded that Taro would just proceed straight and forcefully through him and get to Chihiro despite his protecting her. His posture had bent over, into an aggressive stance, ready for a fight, if it came down to it.

"Don't you dare touch her." He felt his voice surprisingly threatening, the coldest volume he'd ever used. "It's over. Leave her be." He glared through his spruce colored hair at the taller boy, and vaguely sensed it flowing slightly with some non-existent breeze.

"Get the Hell out of my way, or I'll make you move." Taro growled at him, the audience that had gathered chanting a small 'oooh', as if wanting to spur on the fight. Hakuno held his ground, not moving an inch, not taking his glinting emerald eyes off Taro's dark ones.

"Hakuno…" Chihiro whimpered from behind the green-eyed boy, finding herself glued to her spot, unable to make herself rush to Hakuno's aid.

"You'll never hurt Chihiro, or Rumi. Not while I'm here." Hakuno finally hissed, his green orbs doing a spectacular job at disguising the fear that was coursing through him at that moment.

Taro's eyebrow rose slightly, as if he was surprised that the kid in front of him had actually taken things into his own hands. He stared at those eyes, those eyes that were simply too deep and glimmeringly emerald green to be normal. Still, he needn't waste his time sizing the boy up; he was so much smaller, so much more slender than he. His frown twisted into a heinous grin. This fight would be over in a heartbeat.

Hakuno's eyes snapped shut as he felt searing pain shoot through his right cheek, as toughened steel of a fist flew through it. He stumbled slightly towards the window to his left, caught by the impact's momentum. He vaguely heard Chihiro's voice call to him just as it happened.

He brought his fingers to feel his swelling cheek, noticing that it hadn't swollen up nearly as much as it made itself out to be. He felt the place of impact throbbing as he threw his glance back to Taro, hateful as ever. He was grinning to himself, same as ever, cracking his slightly pinkened knuckles. He'd punched him, and hard.

"You want some more, Hakuno? That was just a taste." Taro taunted Hakuno, who was still slightly hunched over, assessing whatever damage that had come with Taro's fist. "I'm actually curious as to how much you can take, it's been a while since I had a good fight," He continued with relish that Hakuno could only comprehend as sadistic.

Hakuno rose to his normal straight posture, rounding his stance again towards Taro, his eyes losing none of his anger. He ignored the cooing encouragements of the crowd that had accumulated, it was just him and Taro as far as he was concerned. So he'd landed the first hit. That didn't mean it was over. He had to stand his ground, had to win Chihiro's freedom from the possessive second year, even if this was the only way how. The younger took a couple of steps forward, leveling himself with Taro, ready for the fight to continue. Even if he did think he was somewhat insane to be doing this, he somehow knew also that he could somehow outdo his foe.

Taro's fist swung again, but this time was dodged by Hakuno, sending the elder boy slightly past him and slightly off balance. Hakuno had an advantage now, and prepared to send the larger boy to the ground. Before he managed anything, however, a force slammed into the back of his head, knocking him momentarily senseless. He immediately calculated that his adversary's elbow had been that force, and scolded himself for giving the boy an opportunity for that in replacement for a punch. He rubbed at the piercing pains that shot through his head, feeling an enormous head ache coming on, not having time to respond to the knee that forced itself into his gut as he staggered backwards toward the window again.

"Taro, Stop it!" Chihiro cried from Hakuno's right. He noticed he was on the ground now, on his knees, doubled over with the double strike that had left him breathless and slightly off-key. He sensed Chihiro's boots clacking towards the 'battle field', headed straight for him.

"Stay where you are, Chihiro." He called out to her, hoping his voice hadn't come out too harsh. Her footsteps immediately halted, and Hakuno pulled himself to his feet, lifting his green eyes first to Chihiro, giving her a reassuring look. She looked drained, scared for him. Rumi stood just behind her, just as shocked, her deep eyes wide and worrisome, probably debating stepping in herself. Her hands that had previously held Chihiro back still hung in the air, apparently not knowing what to do with themselves as Chihiro had left them. Behind them both, he was reminded of the crowds on either side of the hallway, blocking the group in. The spectators wore looks of awe, fear and excitement.

The next person Hakuno's eyes found, was Taro; still standing smug and triumphantly, his arms in their former position across his chest. Hakuno felt something wet on his lip, and licking it, he tasted blood. His own bottom lip must have been torn with the initial punch, he figured. The metallic tasting liquid spurred him on, as if it was feeding him some sort of blood lust, and he fed on the minimal supply that his injury provided. Another glance toward the girls told him that Chihiro was now back in the hands of Rumi.

The cheerful school bell finally tolled as Taro and Hakuno's glares met again, drawing some of the audience away, causing some to bear looks of torn confusion on their faces, apparently wanting more action. The noise had kicked up again, but all Hakuno could hear was the sound of his own heartbeat, the steady panting that filled his lungs, Chihiro's small gasps for air beside him. More blood trickled from his lip and he licked it up as it flowed. It seemed to feed life, encouragement to him.

Taro suddenly lunged again, his fist flying in the air beside him. Hakuno was ready this time, and braced himself, catching the older boy's fist, much to his and Taro's surprise, in his own hand. His emerald orbs flashed, and with that bloodlust finally catching up to him, he slammed his own, free fist straight into Taro's gut. What he hadn't anticipated, however, was how powerful the punch would be.

Hakuno caught a quick glimpse of silver as Taro flew straight back, around five feet, through the air. And Fast. The impact sent him straight into the lockers behind him, creating a loud and hollow metallic bang that echoed through the hallway. Taro's form sunk to the ground, doubled over in intense pain, revealing a rather hefty dent in the grey metal of the lockers.

Hakuno stared, wide eyed, as other eyes around him became glued either to him, or the dent in the metal just above Taro's head. He stared at the dent himself, his breath caught in his throat, wondering, how on Earth he'd managed so much damage with a punch that logically shouldn't really have even affected Taro? How had he sent his foe nearly through the wall, just that simply?

Whispers rose, more fervent than ever, now on the subject of Hakuno's strange powers. His green eyes peered at the spectators around him, catching their stares, causing some to turn away awkwardly as he made eye contact with them, almost wanting nothing to do with him, others just staring dumbly, others to turn to people around them, spreading heinous and ungrounded rumors, hurtful and jeering looks on their faces. His gaze at the crowd led his eyes to Chihiro and Rumi, who were also staring wide-eyed at the boy, speechless, not daring to move, not daring to contemplate what they'd just seen. Just staring. Like everyone else. The whispers met his ears suddenly, his hearing had adjusted itself to catch what types of rumors they were.

"Straight through the air, five whole feet!"

"Taro's huge! How the heck did that small fry manage that?"

"That can't be natural…that can't be human!"

"L-look at his hands…!"

"Whoa, That's not human at all!"

Hakuno was startled by the last couple of remarks, and stared down at his palms, not knowing what to expect. His eyes became wider still as he saw silver, swirling tranquilly around his hands, lacing up his arms and seeming to disappear as they reached his torso. It was that silver, he'd just glimpsed as he sent Taro flying, the silver he'd written off as some trick of his eyes in the heat of battle. But this was no trick, the others could see it too.

He tossed his head quickly up to see Chihiro and Rumi, what their reactions were. The girls' eyes were just as large, just as intriguingly frightened as every other set of eyes in the place. He caught gaze with Chihiro, whose brown eyes held some familiar sense of alarm. Something that he'd swear he'd seen before. It was directed towards him, towards his glowing hands, his strange outburst towards Taro. His eyes fell slowly to his hands again, that silvery aura not fading, just swirling playfully around his now shaking hands. The whispers he'd heard earlier, along with the ones still filling the hallway rang through his ears.

'_That can't be natural…That can't be human!'_

He felt the crowd seem to pull away from him, seem to want to get away. He looked at Taro, who'd also taken to staring at him and his silvery hands. The older boy's eyes across the hall were narrowed, almost suspiciously.

"What the Hell are you, anyway?" Taro grumbled through whatever pain from Hakunos' punch that remained.

Hakuno stepped back from him.

'_That can't be natural…That can't be human!'_

He looked at Chihiro again, his eyes starting to sting. Her brown eyes stood stationary, wide and relatively the same as last time he looked at her. She hadn't moved, not even to come to him. She hadn't reacted at all.

"Alright, move along people, get to class!" Some female's voice came over the murmuring crowd on the side of the hall behind Chihiro. "Ditching class to watch a fight, I swear if I had each of your names, I'd put you ALL in detention!" The angry voice drew closer.

Hakuno hadn't separated glances with Chihiro yet, but felt tears of fright and insecurity welling up in the corners of his wide emerald eyes. With one last look at Taro, who sent him back a glare, the panicked boy bolted away from the scene, fighting needlessly through the crowd of students, who'd recoiled, clearing a path as soon as he turned for them.

"Hakuno!" Chihiro suddenly cried after him, seeing the swarm of students part for him as he tore through them, his silver-laced arm covering his face.

"Ogino-san! I hear your group was the ringleader in all this?" A stern looking third year teacher stared stormily at her peering through a glint in her rectangular glasses. "What's going on here, Ogino? Namiko? And why is there a gaping _dent_ in the school's expensive locker!" She grew more indignant as she surveyed the actual scene. Turning her head back towards the two girls, she noticed that it'd been narrowed down to one, Rumi Namiko.

"Ogino-san!" She bellowed after the brunette, who was now running break-neck speed in Hakuno's same path. "Ogino-san, get back here! Being involved in a fight at school is very undignified and a very punishable action!"

"Sensei, if you don't mind, Chihiro will be back, she has to go after our friend," Rumi explained timidly, as the woman threw her a very tepid look. "Until they come back, I'll explain, though…" She offered, not wanting to anger the already boiling sensei.

"I don't care what friend it is, she owes me a detention!" She stormed, not really satisfied at the girl's offer, but knowing that it was all she could do, with Chihiro gone. She cast a glare at Taro, who now was sitting, arms slung lazily around his knees, staring back at her, below the dent in the locker that she'd been raging about.

"You, what's your name?" She cast malevolently. "Taro Fushiyama, correct?" Taro nodded. "Well, I guess mobs of rumor spreading kids aren't completely useless after all. You both follow me, now."

The two followed the woman, Rumi hustling to walk beside the woman, not wanting to be next to Taro.

"There was another boy, wasn't there? Hakuno, was it?" The middle-aged woman asked the girl next to her. Rumi nodded obediently with a small and quiet 'yes, Sensei,' her hands collected together in front of her. "So, I presume he was fighting you, and he sent you somehow into that locker, Fushiyama-san?"

There was no response from behind them, and Rumi whirled around, gasping to see that there was no Taro behind them, or anywhere else in the hallway.

"Fushiyama-san?" The sensei's anger was surfacing again, as she turned around as well, finding that it had been narrowed down to just this blonde girl, Namiko. "Agh, Oh great, now they've all disappeared…Oh well, they'll be rewarded with more detention, then, that's their own consequence. Come on, Namiko, to my office. _Now._ Might as well get the story from at least one person while I still can." The woman growled, her mood not bettering by the disappearance of the third culprit of the fight. She grabbed Rumi by the wrist, making it impossible for the girl to chase after everyone else herself.

---

Zeniba was picking up the living room of her cottage, cleaning up whatever had been displaced with the visit of her nephew spirit, Boh. The sorceress had only just returned from escorting him back to his home at the bath house, as his visit with his aunt had to come to an end for Yubaba's crankiness of her absent child.

The old ruler of the bath house let her child to visit her sister only for the reason that it made him happy, but still hated knowing that the boy had familial affection for her sister, even after she'd raised him away from her his entire life. Another thing to chock up to the human girl, Chihiro, she'd reasoned.

"Oh, that boy is growing, isn't he, No-Face?" Zeniba said with a sigh, smiling at their guests' presence. "It truly is hard to believe that such a sweet baby was raised by my sister!" She laughed heartily, receiving a smile and nod from No-Face, who was doing his part of straightening in the kitchen. It was far past sunrise, the time they normally went to sleep, but they chose to organize things first before finally retiring.

She finished straightening her knitting corner, and nearly dropped the yarn balls in her great hands, for a small pang that made itself known in her mind. Her eyes widened as she figured out what it was, nearly immediately.

"Ah…Ah?" No-Face lightly asked, his own way of asking if everything was alright.

"Yes, No-Face, dear. Everything's fine," Zeniba smiled honestly at her companion. "Things are changing for Haku, as well." She gave him the reading of her sudden premonition.

"Ah…?" No-Face asked further, cocking his head slightly.

"Yes, dear." Zeniba nodded. "His memories have already begun coming back, and just now, his powers surfaced. He really is quite a powerful being for this to happen…I expected for the memories to return to him, eventually, he's such a determined young man, but his powers…"

No-Face smiled thoughtfully, returning a pan to it's rightful spot.

"There's a crack in the barrier that holds his true nature, his memories, and that crack is getting wider." Zeniba cast her eyes out the window, to the spot where she'd cast the spell on the boy in the first place. "We'd better ready ourselves for guests!" She cackled heartily, smiling underneath the deep wrinkles etched into her face. No-Face's painted mouth displayed a little smile as well, imagining that they may soon be able to see Chihiro again, after the past five years.

'Soon, the crack won't be able to hold, and it will burst.' Zeniba prophesized, still staring out the window.

"Let us hope that Haku is ready for it."


	11. Identity

-Catgirl-of-Bavaria-:Hallo again, my frisky little monkeys! (sorry, I've been watching a bit too much of Craig Ferguson on the Late Late Show He's Hella funny-) It's been about a week since my last update again, And I'm currently in chapter 6(of 18) in my correspondence classes, and I'm glad to say it's getting pretty easier, I've been averaging about a chapter a day on it, so that's happy Doesn't change the fact that I'm behind, still, though…Too many muses are being thrown at me from every direction –ish buried under ideas for fanfics, AMVs, and especially my new manga—which I am uber proud of! My Chemical Romance totally rocks, as their new song is absolutely perfect for my manga. Not to mention it's just freakin' good to begin with.

Anyway, I'm gonna keep this short, but also, if there's any Fruits Basket fans lurking around in here, I've got two fanfics going right now in the magical world of Microsoft Word, They'll probably be up soon. So, that being said, check them out! They're going to be called Little Miss Perfect (A Yuki/Machi story) and Outside Looking In (A story of a girl, who is distantly related to the Juunishi, who starts attending school with the gang)

Heh, I wonder how many FB fans are actually in here. Oh well, check them out anyway, onto the next installment of Learning to Love Again! Oh, and Dreams of Spirits I guess, is on hold or some type of deal…Due to homework, laziness, other fics, my funky sleeping patterns, and the fact that the muse for that story hath not returned yet, Or I perhaps overlooked her in the midst of all the other muses that are swarming me…Gomen Nasaii, and I'll get on it when I get on it! –sweatdrop-

Chapter 10- Identity

He ran through the deserted hallways, not daring to look back, not daring to slow down. He had to get out of there, he was falling apart. Hakuno raced down the stairs taking them three at a time again, not even to get tired at the bottom.

Where was he running, exactly? He couldn't tell himself as he hurdled through students that remained crowding the entrance doors, leaping down the steps and not bothering to use a one.

"_What the Hell are you, anyway?"_

That voice, that voice he hated so much. Why did he let it weaken him? Why did it follow him all the way down this street he'd found himself on?

"_What the Hell are you, anyway?"_

"Shut up…" Hakuno muttered, still running across a –thankfully- empty intersection. The tears were staining his cheeks, making his face feel cold in the chilly air. Silver slivers of light still clung to his arms and hands, not helping the boy's already low resolve. The pattering of his boots on the concrete echoed through his head, and joined themselves with Taro's taunting once more.

"_**What the Hell are you, anyway?"**_

"_Shut up!" _Hakuno suddenly yelled at the voice, finally stopping only to fall to his knees, straight into a patch of drying mud. He would have been thankful that no one was around to hear his outburst, had he even bothered to actually take in any surroundings other than that patch of mud below him, being revived by his small tears. He furiously wiped at his moist face with his blazer sleeve, almost embarrassed to be crying. Somehow it didn't seem to fit him.

But what did fit him?

"_What the Hell are you anyway?" _

Hakuno clenched his fists at his sides. He hated to admit, but it was a good question. What had happened back there, that couldn't have been normal. He hadn't thrown that hard of a punch, it might not have even been able to faze Taro, but somehow it'd sent him practically through the wall. That silver light, the light that had been just reduced to a couple of silver stings, like strands of wispy silver hair, barely even there, hadn't been normal.

"…_That can't be human!"_

Hakuno panted at the ground, wondering if that hysterical comment had been correct. Was he human at all? Why was all of this happening? Why did he not have any memories but the few that he'd seen the preceding day? Those strange visions had not given him any resolution that he was human.

He slowly looked back up in front of him, suddenly wanting to continue on. He found himself directly in front of that path into the river bearing forest, that place he'd visited, he'd found solace in. It urged him in, the river seeming also to call his name.

"And now I think that a river's calling me…" Hakuno muttered, pulling himself out of the dirt. "I must either be inhuman or insane…"

He obliged to the river's call, running up the slope, slipping slightly in the remaining mud. He didn't stop until he'd reached the bank of the river, collapsing again on the sand, staring in to mesmerizing currents of water that swirled around the smooth rocks on the bottom, giving him a fond hello.

Hakuno let his shaky hands submerge themselves in the clear, running water, feeling as if the river was a person, holding his hands, giving him the strength to carry on. He had half a mind to reject it, for how mystified and frustrated with himself he was, but still hadn't the heart to let it go. It was his friend. The river _wanted_ to help him.

Hakuno shut his emerald eyes as he sank his hands deeper into the river, not caring about his blazer and shirt sleeves getting soaked. The river responded, purring over his wrists and hands, sending him messages of consolation.

After several minutes of this bond, he slowly drifted his hands back to the surface, cupping them as they broke the surface. He carefully brought the river water to his face, and dipped his face into it, the cold stinging his face, but soon becoming welcoming and pleasant. Rubbing it generously over his skin, he combed through his hair, cooling his head as well.

He suddenly caught glimpse of the silver aura, somehow returned and still bonded with the river. He stared hopelessly at the water, as the silver seemed to mingle with it.

He recalled the incident in the school hall, looking at that aura. He remembered the actual fight, the adrenaline rushing through his body, Taro's fist flying across his face. He saw that dent again, Taro's crumpled form just below it. Those terrible faces of his fellow classmates. _Her face_. The face of this girl that hadn't reacted. For some odd reason it hurt him more than Taro's beating. She probably thought he was a freak, just like the rest of them.

"What the Hell am I?" He inaudibly uttered to himself, as the silver danced over the water, begging him to play as well.

---

"Ogino-san!" The brunette girl heard the demanding shout behind her as she tore through the hallway, dodging the remaining clumps of crowd that had gathered to see the fight. Normally, she wouldn't want to cross this teacher in particular, the woman had often been referred to by the students as "Detention-sama," for all the detentions that were assigned by her hand.

"Ogino-san, get back here! Being involved in a fight at school is very undignified and a very punishable action!" She heard the sensei bellow far behind her.

"Ah, shove it…" Chihiro muttered, not feeling like being anywhere near obedient. Hakuno was obviously upset, and no one else was going to help him if she didn't. She knew it meant an increase in her punishment, but all she cared about was him.

She flew down the stairs, hoping to be on Hakuno's trail, and felt the twinge of the bruise on her shin revive itself with the stress. She had fallen into a slight limp as she met the entrance doors, swinging them open and feeling the cold air swirl past her.

She paused for a second, still standing, her hands on each door, holding them open to the world, staring out over the grounds of the school. Where had he run off to? Her panting caught up with her, only for a second, as she realized.

"The river…!" she murmured, throwing herself clumsily down the concrete steps and down the sidewalk to the gate.

She recalled the memory of the direction she'd run the other day, the time she'd absent-mindedly ran halfway to her house, and luckily stumbled upon Hakuno in the forest. He loved that river, she knew. It'd most definitely be the place to find him. She let all she learned in gym, all the running they'd done instinctively take over, pulling her further and further to her destination.

That sight flashed through her mind again, Hakuno standing, laced with a silver aura, in the middle of the hall, the rumors floating behind her that had obviously met his ears. That look that he'd given her before he ran, it was like nothing she'd ever seen before. It had bothered her more than anything, broken her heart to see it. He'd only run after assessing Chihiro's reaction, she figured out.

"I just stood there like an idiot…" She panted to herself, angry for her response. "I should have helped him…I shouldn't have just stared!" She scolded herself, convinced that in that sense she was no better than the crowd that had gathered just for the carnality of watching a fist fight and spreading rumors. That she was part of the reason for his flight.

"I'm the reason for all this stupid mess…" She muttered as she slowed at the sight of the mud trail at the brink of the forest.

She saw tracks, the tracks of boots, just barely imprinted into the nearly dry mud. She swallowed her breath, and plowed up the inclining path to the river, stumbling every once in a while, for that limp that still cursed her right leg. She pulled herself into that clearing, noticing first the river, and then a seated figure, just at the brink of the water. His spruce hair fell around his shoulders, his hands were most likely connected to the water. She heard a chillingly misty whisper seem to float through the clearing.

"What the Hell am I?"

---

"You're a good guy and you don't deserve to feel this way." Hakuno heard a feminine, and slightly out of breath voice reply from behind him.

The boy at the river whirled around, and saw her. Chihiro stood just at the entrance of the clearing, her hands in her skirt pockets, her head cast slightly down, as if in shame. Her chest heaved a little, her breath trying to catch up with her. Had she just run after him?

"Chihiro…" He whispered, unable to find something to follow it.

"I'm sorry I led you into all this crap." Chihiro told him regretfully, staring at a rock in the sand. "But you shouldn't let those things they said about you get to you…"

Hakuno stood slowly, but stayed where he was at the bank.

"I'm not so sure they're wrong, Chihiro." Hakuno told her. Chihiro looked up at him, finding an expression of a strange mix of sadness, confusion and anxiety on his naturally pale face. "You saw what happened back there…" He whispered in a hoarse voice.

"They're right, it isn't natural for me to be able to send Taro through a wall…Probably not human for this silver to be swirling around me…" He surveyed his hands, which still had silver remnants playing carelessly around his arms.

"Don't say that! Just because of all that doesn't mean you're not human! It doesn't mean you have to run away from me!" Chihiro cried, suddenly feeling tears behind her own eyes. Hakuno simply stared at her.

"Even if you aren't human, it doesn't mean you have to run from me!" She continued, the tears starting up in her brown eyes. "I'm not exactly normal myself! Yesterday I was saved by this hair tie that I've been obsessed with for five years!" She let her hair out of its tie, bringing the thing forward for him to see.

The only noise was the river purring over the rocks for a few moments after her statements, but even the river seemed to have grown quiet. Hakuno's emerald eyes stared at her, taken aback by her statements.

"Chihiro, I think I remembered something yesterday…" Hakuno awkwardly said, breaking the silence. "When I found you on the sidewalk yesterday, and I put you on my back, I saw a vision."

Chihiro stared at him, wide-eyed, her tears still in the corners of her eyes.

"In this vision, I was somehow a dragon. You were only four years old, and you were on my back, and I swam you to the shore of a river. Then I transformed into a human, and stayed with you until your parents found you. I turned back into a dragon, and flew back into the river. Somehow…I thought that the river was…mine…" Hakuno finished, casting his gaze at the sand below him. "This obviously wasn't some random vision…It was some sort of…memory of mine. But, how could I have been a dragon?" He whispered. These events couldn't have been coincidences, that was obvious to him now.

"_You're_ the dragon from my dream?" Chihiro breathed, astonished that they'd somehow seen the same exact thing. She'd thought it was just something random her brain had come up with in the throes of unconsciousness. Then something occurred to her. "Wait…is that the only thing you've seen?"

Hakuno shook his head, also amazed that they'd had the same vision, most likely simultaneously.

"No, I had two others…ones of when you were-"

"Ten years old?" Chihiro asked, stepping closer to him. Hakuno nodded. "I saw them too. You told me to meet you by the bridge, didn't you? And then you gave me rice cakes?"

"How is all that possible, though? How could I transform into a dragon? And that place we were at in the others…It just seemed strange…" Hakuno asked, coming back to his theory that he was perhaps not human like the others had said.

"I don't remember something from when I was ten. You don't remember anything before a few days ago. These things have happened for some reason or another…" Chihiro said frustrated, wishing that the answer would simply present itself already.

Hakuno thought, staring back at the river. They were so close to the answer, he could feel it. His memories were just inches from flooding over him. Chihiro and he had met before, this was clear. Maybe in a previous life? No, it had definitely been Chihiro Ogino in those visions…

'Those visions…' He lifted his chin from its perch on his fingers, on the verge of genius.

"Chihiro, there's still some things missing," He told her, calling her attention to him from the ground. "Like, who, or what, I am, whatever happened to us both…and this feeling I have for you…"

Chihiro suddenly blushed at what the boy said, realizing that it was the same for her. She had that same, unexplainable feeling for him. She stood up to level herself with him, catching his emerald eyes again.

"But we've gotten this far with these visions. I know that they only come…" He paused, awkwardly, almost. "They come only when I touch you. The first time, you were on my back, the second, I touched your cheek, and then I had my hands on your shoulders." He told her quietly.

Chihiro stared at him with giant brown orbs, realizing he was probably right. Without the visions they wouldn't have gotten anywhere, and the visions had come when they were in contact, accordingly. She figured that the two first ones had matched up with his when she was out, and she'd definitely seen the third when they were on the couch together.

"So, we need more of these dreams to give us more, then?" Chihiro guessed, receiving a nod, and a slight blush from Hakuno, who was now approaching her, slowly.

She felt his arm wrap around her, his hand gently grip her side.

"_Don't move," a hushed and urgent whisper echoed through her mind._

_The ten year old girl found herself being pushed towards a wall, in the arms of a boy, he looked just a year or two older than she, and he was shielding her shaking body from something above, something of a bird, but strange-looking. She gazed up at it, trying to get a look at it, but also obeying the boy's instruction._

_The bird appeared to circle nearer, and the elder boy pressed his body further onto hers, hugging her closer into his warmth and protectively glaring down that abnormal bird._

They both came out of the vision, finding that he had hugged her slightly closer, blush coloring their faces. Chihiro suddenly got the idea with the last vision, and threw her arms around Hakuno, squeezing gently, urging the vision to begin.

_She was now urging the mouth of that dragon to open, something in her small hand. She pulled at the creatures threatening teeth, urgently, the flashes of blood spilling through her mind. She had to get him to open his mouth._

"_Come on, open your mouth," she groaned, struggling with the noncompliant animal. The dragons canine jaws finally obliged, and she tossed her hand in, a ball of medicine in it. She quickly released the ball as far in as she could, and stole back her hand, using both her hands to keep the dragons mouth closed._

"_There, now swallow!" _

_He suddenly rejected, beginning to thrash wildly, his whole body writhing to both the taste of the thing, and the pain that coursed through him, made him bleed from the inside. He growled, trying to expel the thing, it was doing strange, unpleasant things to his insides, but he felt the girl's whole weight on his head, somehow keeping his mouth shut. He never wanted to hurt her, but the reaction of thrashing was almost involuntary, he just wanted the pain to end._

_The dragons thrashing had frightened the girl, but she held fast to his snout, determined to help him. She clung desperately, even as she felt herself lift slightly off the ground in the creature's wild panic._

Chihiro suddenly withdrew, the images of the pain-stricken dragon and it's thrashing still fresh in her own eyes. Had she really done that? And if that really was Hakuno, what had happened? There'd been blood everywhere, and she knew he was the source.

Hakuno gave her a few seconds, allowing them both to collect themselves again. The vision had even frightened him a little. She could have been hurt, for all the thrashing he'd submitted her to.

This time, the two met each other's eyes momentarily, both brown and green full of determination. If they were going to regain their memories, this was definitely how it would happen. They closed the gap between them, each pulling the other in as deeply as humanly possible, resolved not to break away until they had the answer.

They were both floored by memories, playing before both of their eyes, as if they were transfixed to a movie screen. Chihiro saw her parents, her new grade school, passing by it in the car, her father getting them lost, leading them to that giant red plaster building in the woods. Suddenly, it all made sense, the rest of the story came easily. Her parents found the one café with food, they ate it while she refused and explored the area. She'd come to that bridge, the structure on the other side, the Bath house. Yubaba's bath house, she recalled, somehow. That boy looked at her. The boy with bluish green dark hair and piercing green eyes, in that strange outfit, a uniform that seemed so strange, but so familiar. That was him, that was Hakuno.

The couple held each other tighter as the memories played in front of their eyes, they themselves seeming to relive each turn of events, each emotion that had been experienced five years previous.

Hakuno watched, unblinkingly, if his eyes were even still open, the vision bringing forth everything. Even at parts that seemed to pass faster than the others, Hakuno could list several details about each and every scene. It really was as if the answer was just hidden behind some sort of barrier, and that barrier had finally broken for the both of them. They remembered people that they hadn't known they forgotten; Zeniba, Kamaji, Rin, Boh, Yubaba, No-Face. They remembered things that the vision hadn't even brought up, it just all came to them, the vision being nothing more than a trigger.

"_I remember now, I was the spirit of the Kohaku river!"_ Hakuno's younger voice echoed through their minds, as they relived falling from the sky. _"I remember you falling into my river, and I remember your little pink shoe!"_

"_They filled in that river, it's all apartments now!"_ Chihiro's ten year old voice followed.

The vision suddenly transitioned back to their last moments together in the spirit world, their holding each other's hands.

"_Will we ever meet again?" Chihiro had asked. _

"_I'm sure we will." Hakuno had told her back, feeling an emotion of sadness of finally seeing her go. His grasp on her hand had gently tightened. He didn't want to make her forget._

"_Promise?" She was just as reluctant to leave as he was to let her go. As she looked at him, she had felt something that she hadn't recognized at such a young age._

"_Promise," He assured her. "Now go, and don't look back," The boy fought the urge to take back the words that had just passed his lips with everything he had. Even though he didn't like it, it was how it was supposed to be. He finally sent her off, keeping her hand in his and long as he possibly could. She obeyed as she ran to her parents, he watched after her until she had finally completely vanished from the spirit realm._

_She reached the other side of the tunnel, and finally looked back, in the very last moments she was able to remember. She gazed through the darkness, giving one last wish to the pitch dark that the boy called Haku would keep his promise, and someday, somehow, they'd meet again. Her parents called her out of her reverie, and they finally departed for their new lodgings at the top of the hill of this new town. _

Hakuno's vision progressed to the last moments in the spirit world, the very reason he was existing in the human world to begin with. The spell that Zeniba had cast.

"Haku…" He suddenly found himself in the present again, Chihiro snuggling into his chest. Yes, that was his name. Haku. 'Hakuno' must have just been the name Zeniba had given him as a human.

"Chihiro." He smiled into her brown hair, glad to have things back to the way they were supposed to be.

"I…I can't believe I forgot all of you guys…Everything that happened…" She whimpered quietly, her tears coming forth and sinking through his uniform. "How could I have forgotten?"

"Chihiro, don't cry," Haku comforted her, stroking her silk hair, burying his face into it. "It isn't your fault you forgot…It's mine." He admitted into her hair, barely in a whisper.

Chihiro looked up at the taller boy, finding his emeralds filled with regret.

"It's the spell on the gateway. If you had looked back before you got there, you would have remembered everything. But since you didn't, the gateway's spell caused your memories to be blocked. I told you not to look back, only because it was my duty as a spirit." He explained shamefully. "I regretted it as soon as I let go of your hand. I never wanted you to forget what happened…I never wanted you to forget me."

Chihiro stared at him, her brown eyes softening. She really didn't like that she'd been tricked into forgetting him and everything else, but she knew he only did it because he had to. It did sound reasonable, to keep the harmony of both worlds, she somehow figured.

"I'm sorry, Chihiro…" Haku told her, almost worried by her momentary silence. He felt her pull him back to her, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I don't care about the spell. I don't care if you had to do it or whatever…" She snuggled into his neck. "You came back. You kept your promise. That's all I care about."

Haku pulled her deeper into him, wrapping an arm around her slender waist, immersing his other into her generous collection of soft brown hair, lacing his fingers through it. He breathed her in, somehow not sensing her human smell that he had five years previous.

"Chihiro," He finally whispered after a few moments of peace. "Can you give me my name back again?"

"Do you not remember it?" Chihiro's eyes shot open, wondering.

"I do, but could you still say it?" Haku requested quietly into her hair. Chihiro silently smiled for a second, then obliged.

"Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi," She told his blue forest hair, nuzzling further into his neck.

Haku smiled and held her deeply, never wanting to let the girl go again. He never planned to leave her again, never wanted her or himself to forget again. He silently thanked the witch Zeniba for his second chance at love, a second chance that hadn't gone to waste. It had started out rough, he noted, but in the end it was worth all of the anxiety and stress, just to be able to hold the girl in his arms again. Just to have his identity back.

Haku's hands slowly came from their position on her back and in her hair, to lightly cup each of her soft cheeks in his strong hands. Chihiro's glittering eyes found Haku's emeralds, which had only shone so brightly when she had first given him back his lost name. The face she looked into was nearly the same, but gently aged into its later teenage maturity by the years that had passed since their last meeting.

Haku finally placed his lips on hers, her own responding avidly by pressing back into his. The two felt a breeze seem to swirl around them, lifting their hair around them, Haku sensing it as some sort of blessing from nature itself. The river behind him purred contentedly, pleased with the affection and love between the human girl and the river god turned human. He traced her lips slightly with his tongue, eager to deepen their passion and find the girl's taste. Chihiro complied just as eagerly, allowing him to enter. He sighed gently, finding that taste he was seeking, having it cause him to melt. His arms began their return to her waist and hair, hugging her deeper into the kiss. She was just beginning to explore his mouth now, when Haku slowly opened his glazed eyes with a sudden warning from the river; something that could have been some sort of splash or even an outright call to him, he hadn't paid attention.

His tongue ceased to mingle with hers as his eyes snapped to a point just at the clearing's entrance, some shadow behind Chihiro. The river called out again to him, just as he caught sight of the figure's advance, an all out lunge.

"Chihiro…!" He suddenly warned in a half yell, at the same time disconnecting their lips and pushing Chihiro aside, out of the line of fire.


	12. Affinity and Repentance

-Catgirl-of-Bavaria- : Eep, It's been too long, eh? Well, I'm on chapter 11(of 18) of my homework, so that's good.

So the last few days have been spent mostly on either homework, writing my Furuba fanfic( Outside Looking In, It is officially up and 2 chapters long—check it out, Fruits Basket fans! ) and running around You tube…and also some drawing thrown in there –Woot!—Original stuff, a pic of Son Goku from Saiyuki, and this abstract thing I'm working on which is completely random. There are some grapes in that pic…I don't know why, but oh well. I like drawing the curly little vines on the grape vine thing, hehe. Kawaii desu!

So, last chapter, I got some reviews that thought that Haku was gonna get shot or something…Or at least die in some way. Just a note, you will never see me kill off Haku, or I'd have to punish myself greatly. So, please, do not worry. –sweatdrop- I guess it is kind of my fault for writing "Out of the line of fire" I suppose that must have implied bad things and Taro's possession of a gun…O.O;; lol, I hadn't even thought of that when I wrote it or submitted it! XD So, this chapter, I suppose I have been a little unsure of, but overall I think it works. Tell me what you think, and enjoy the update, I'll try to be a little more on time next chapter! Ja ne!

Chapter 11- Affinity and Repentance

Chihiro brushed off her dirt speckled knees, pulling herself from her sudden seat there in the under brush that bordered the river clearing. What was Haku thinking, shoving her away like that?

"Haku, what the—" She cut herself off, suddenly realizing the reason for her love's seemingly irrational behavior.

Haku was suddenly doubled over, just in the brink of the river, deep enough to have submerged his shoes. His hands covered his mouth and nose, and Chihiro gasped to see that red was steadily dripping between his fingers. It wasn't a lot, most likely only a bloody nose and torn lip at the most, but it was enough to make her afraid for him. The liquid freed a few droplets into the river as Haku's face lifted up, staring at the man who loomed just next to her.

She stepped back into the bramble she'd just released herself from, hoping that he somehow wouldn't see her. Taro's glare turned for her, then back to Haku.

"So, Nigihayami Kohaku-whatever, you not learn your lesson back there?" He taunted Haku.

"Don't use his name like you know him!" Chihiro suddenly and thoughtlessly yelled back. Haku's glance turned towards her, slightly frightened. Taro simply glared. The river began to run restlessly, its volume seeming to increase its volume to deafening. Taro took a step towards Chihiro now, his eyes covered in shadow again.

"Don't you touch her!" Haku yelled, now upright and out of the water, still slightly bleeding from his nose and lip. His eyes were more intense than ever, he found more confidence in himself now, knowing what powers he could possibly still possess. If Taro knew of these same powers, he probably would have run away long ago.

"It's over, Taro. Chihiro does not deserve this torture you're submitting her to." Haku's voice had it's old edge to it again, making him even more threatening. "Let it be. _Move on_." He drew level with Taro, assured of his powers, if it came down to using them.

The river called to him, telling him that he was not alone in the fight, the river would lend him help. He sensed that the water had taken on some sort of delicate, almost feminine feel to it, perhaps this coming from his re-atoned senses as a river god.

Chihiro stayed in her position, practically sitting on the bush behind her, watching the two's stare-off, knowing that Haku could more than best Taro now that he knew what he was capable of. She'd only seen a small amount of his powers when she was with him in his world, but she knew that was probably only scratching the surface of what he could really do.

Taro seemed to ease off, and made suddenly to turn around. Chihiro's eyes widened, surprised it had been that easy. Haku, however, saw it as some sort of trick. Taro wasn't this type of guy, after all the trouble he'd already caused over losing Chihiro.

Sure enough, not even having made a complete turn, Taro's huge forearm swung straight for Haku's head. Haku saw it coming, and ducked, grinning slightly. The elder boy's other fist then came out of nowhere; he'd obviously tried to take Haku off guard with his obvious first swing, then surprise him with a punch. The river spirit saw through that, and leapt backwards, drawing the other boy after him. Haku sensed he was just at the brink of the river now, his wet shoes sinking into sand. Taro threw more punches as he followed, only to have each one either dodged or blocked. Haku grinned more as he saw the look of confused rage on Taro's face, and at the same time, finally felt his heel connect to the water.

'Nii-san,' The river seemed to whisper to him. Now it was clear to him. Haku knew now, why this river was so special, so helpful and loving to him.

The river god gave Taro one last grimace, as he backed completely into the water, letting the river soak up to his knees. Taro didn't venture into the river, just glared out at Haku as he panted for breath.

"What, you giving up that easily, Hakuno or whatever the Hell you are?" Taro called with a laugh over the water.

Chihiro also watched, eager to see Haku's plan. She took a slight step forward, to get a better look around the tree that blocked some of her view. Taro turned his head towards her at the snap of a twig beneath her boot.

"C'mon, Chihiro, we don't need this kid," Taro grabbed Chihiro by the bruised wrist, sending a pang of discomfort through her. She gasped to see that the wrist he grabbed was the right one, the one that this time was free of her hair tie. "I told you, I'm not giving you up."

"I told you, DON'T TOUCH HER!" Haku's voice thundered. Chihiro looked back, as well as Taro, who was perplexed at the sudden change in volume and intensity. Haku's hair was suddenly waving frantically around him, wild, but still majestic. His clothes even seemed to blow around his form, in a wind that had somehow followed the mood of the boy in the river. Taro's eyes widened as he caught sight of the green eyes on Haku, ones that were impossibly more intense and spiteful than ever before.

"She is not yours, and she was never yours to begin with! She is her own person." Haku said in a low, yet velvety growl. "Release her." He commanded, as Taro was still holding on to Chihiro's wrist.

Taro watched as the water of the river seemed to flow, out of its set course through the earth, into the air, surrounding Haku, seemingly giving him a throne of water. Chihiro and Taro's eyes both widened with amazement, or in Taro's case, fear, as the water rose higher, cresting where Haku stood with a beautiful Chinese dragon that was comprised of water. It twined protectively around the boy, its wolf like head coming to just next to Haku, staring Taro down alongside Haku. Its eyes suddenly lit up in a blaze of crimson that would seem almost like fire, if the humans' logic hadn't told them that fire and water couldn't coexist like that. Taro dumbly stared, still not releasing Chihiro from his grasp.

"As you can plainly see, I am not alone, Taro Fushiyama." Haku grinned. "I suggest you do what I say before something unusual happens to you." His voice was accompanied by a low growl, emitting from the water dragon.

Chihiro beamed at Haku and the other dragon. It had to be the spirit of this river that was helping them. It was certainly succeeding in confusing and dumbfounding her possessive boyfriend. He hadn't released her wrist yet, though, even after Haku's threat. He threw a growl at the river spirit.

"So what the Hell are you anyway? You've obviously figured it out!" he yelled out onto the water. The dragon's crimson eyes blinked slowly, and seemed to let out a bored little growl.

"That's not the question at hand, Taro!" Haku threw back, obviously getting as tired with the situation as the dragon was. "Release Chihiro, or suffer the consequence. Your choice." He stated calmly, emerald eyes blazing.

Chihiro didn't feel the pressure around her wrist subside, rather, felt it increase. With a growl from Taro, she suddenly felt herself being pulled into Taro's body, his hands gripping her shoulders tightly, threatening to make more bruises. Haku's sight suddenly faltered; this wasn't in the plan. The river would have to go straight through Chihiro to get to Taro.

Taro backed up, Chihiro in tow, retreating towards the pathway to the town. Chihiro pulled away, knowing somehow that this was against Haku's plan to save her, and found Taro's grip tightening. Zeniba flashed through her mind.

"_It'll protect you. It was made from the threads your friends wove together,"_ Her hair tie glimmered as No-face, Boh and Yu-bird followed Zeniba through her head, a comical mental image of Boh and Yu-bird running on the spinning wheel, as if it were a hamster toy, No-Face at the spindle, sorting the material into a single strand. The whole group sitting at the table, Zeniba spouting out instructions of how to knit those strands together.

She suddenly realized; it hadn't been the hair tie, it was her friends that saved her from Taro. She now recognized the voice that had told her to run as Zeniba's. Chihiro was determined now to do her part to help Haku, and thus seized the purple tie off of her left wrist, twining it swiftly through her fingers, so it stayed in her palm.

"Kohaku!" She called, then slapped her hair-tie equipped hand onto Taro's arm, forcing that shock to pulse through him again, his hands tightening just slightly in recoil before promptly releasing her.

Haku caught the girl's hint, as she sprinted to the side, out of harm's way. He grinned, and cast a sideways look at his river spirit companion.

"Nigihayami Aikihara Nushi!" Haku called out, casting a downward look at Taro. The dragon's crimson eyes flashed before obeying her companion.

Chihiro watched in wonder as the dragon of water flowed through the air at alarming speed, headed straight for a very wide-eyed Taro, still recovering from the jolt to his system. It wrapped around him, constricting and engulfing Taro in water. He held his breath, holding his hands over his mouth and nose, the mop of black hair flowing around him, his dark eyes showing an emotion for once; fear and acceptance of power. Haku finally withdrew from the water, coming to Chihiro.

"Are you alright?" he asked her just gently. Chihiro nodded vigorously. "I really am sorry it had to come to this…" He sighed, turning towards Taro, sort of apologizing to both him and Chihiro. "But you left me and Aikihara no choice." His intense gaze peered through the body of the second dragon, straight into Taro's eyes. He was starting to grow fatigued from holding his breath.

"Aikihara, you may release him." Haku told the dragon coolly. The dragon nodded, and unwound itself from Taro's form, swirling above and returning to wrap itself warmly around Chihiro, and then Haku. Haku stroked the cool surface of the dragon's canine snout, peering at Taro, who knelt in the dirt, struggling for air.

"Just…Just who the Hell are you, and why the Hell do you want Chihiro so bad?" Taro demanded, coughing up a little water.

"I could ask the same of you." Haku coldly replied. "She made a decision, you should honor it. Is that not what these human relationships are about?" He didn't remove his hand from the snout of the dragon called Aikihara, but began to step closer.

"I had control…just the other day…Why the Hell'd you take it away? We were stable!" Taro retorted, almost talking to no one but the ground just below him. Haku's face softened briefly, finding that Taro's voice was actually carrying an emotion in it.

"It isn't about control. Taro, you seek stability, but you'll never find it if you treat people the way you have treated Chihiro these past few days." Taro's eyes widened as the spirit seemed to read his mind. Haku's voice had transitioned back into his calm version, no longer seeming angry, just offering honest advice. Even Chihiro looked surprised at the spruce haired boy. "Stability is not control. Love is not control. I know you seek both these traits, but Chihiro has realized that she cannot honestly offer either of them to you. You need to find someone who can. Move forward, Taro-san." He finally came to kneel about four feet from Taro, leveling the field. His intense eyes finally met with those dark ones, drilling the message in even more effectively.

Taro only stared at the younger boy, trying his hardest to find the ulterior motive within the gleaming emeralds, but to no avail. He looked back at the dirt below his hands, regretfully. Had he really gone that crazy? He knew Chihiro was a sweet girl, one of the sweetest he'd ever met. His only friend, when they'd met almost a year before. He hated to admit it, but Haku had been right; he was looking for stability, and then trying to make it stay in all the wrong ways, using all the wrong methods. He'd wanted her to stay, not to leave and find someone else to grace with her presence. He'd hurt her, and he knew it, he hadn't been too intoxicated the previous day to recognize that. He just wanted something in his life that he could count on being there each day, unlike his father; the man was barely ever home, and on the rare occasion that he was, father and son were always at odds about something. He realized, reluctantly admitting that it was with Haku's help, that he'd found Chihiro and held on to her, hoping that she could provide some stability for him. He'd clung desperately to it, straight to that moment, recognizing Haku as the enemy and it had caused more trouble than he'd initially been in.

"I'm sorry about this, Taro." Chihiro's small voice chimed in, drawing him from his realization. Taro and Haku both looked at the girl, still standing off to the sidelines, now accompanied by Aikihara. "I-I wanted stability too. I wanted whatever was missing to just be there, and I thought that you could provide it to me, or even distract me from it... I was wrong about that, and I led both of us on." She looked to the ground, a slight burning pulling at her eyes. "It's my fault for all of this mess, if I'd just listened to myself more back then…" She trailed off, feeling a tear well in her eye.

Haku was about to lift himself to go to her, when he sensed Taro slowly rise to his feet. Haku felt unease for only a brief second, but Taro had frozen to the spot, not moving towards Chihiro, nor trying to take another shot at him.

"I'm sorry I hurt you yesterday." Taro told the large rock in the middle of the clearing. "I know I've been stupid, these past few days. I can't believe I didn't…" He muttered to himself, running a hand around the bottom layer of hair at his neck. His gaze rose to Chihiro's. "And I hope you can forgive me." He added quietly, almost taking Chihiro off guard. Haku stared through his spruce bangs, reading the boy's tone of voice as sincerity.

Chihiro stared at him for a moment, his deep eyes waiting and oddly patient. She put a smile on, and nodded to him. Taro's mouth turned to a small smile, and he turned to Haku, who had leveled himself with the other two.

"Hakuno…" Taro started off, reluctant to finish his sentence. "You're a good fighter. Thought you'd like to know." He settled on saying. He could never say thank you to the boy. It was man's pride in himself. Haku understood this, and nodded, a thin smile on his face and in his eyes. Taro turned towards the pathway and began out.

"See you punks at school." He called behind him. He turned just before connecting to the pathway, looking them both in the eyes. "Oh, and not a word to Detention-sama about your crazy water skills. We duked it out, fair and square, if she asks. Fist fight." He punched his palm with his other hand.

Crimson, emerald and chocolate eyes all followed the boy out of sight, until the last falls of his feet could be heard.

"Did…Did that just happen?" Chihiro gasped, collapsing onto the large rock in the clearing, Aikihara drifting towards her river, swirling majestically over it. "Did he really just admit to everything like that? H-how?"

Haku walked over to the river, petting Akihara's brow, sending the dragon of water into a near purr. His breaths came out a little shakily, realizing that it was all over. His plan had been a success.

"Yes, Chihiro, it's finally over." He sighed pleasantly. "He was still blind to the true nature of things, due to his own insecurities…I may have nudged him along a little with my powers, but that really was him, realizing, regretting, apologizing. He did admit to everything. I knew it was there, I just had to bring it to the surface, where he could openly see it." He soothed her anxiety with his velvety elegant voice.

She took in air, finding it slightly misty, from the water dragon that was now affectionately nuzzling Haku's hand. She watched the interaction between the river spirits, and smiled at how truly amazing his powers were.

"Kohaku," She said, getting up from her seat, and sauntered over to him. Haku looked back at her, asking her with his eyes. "So, just who is Aikihara-sama?"

She lifted her own hand to gently stroke the water that formed the creature's mane. Quite an odd sensation, a full, luxurious mane made of nothing more than river water. Ruby eyes smiled at her, urging her to continue her stroking of the dragon's mane. Suddenly the wet sensation of the creature's mane turned solid, soft and furry. She looked, surprised at the creature, seeing it take the shape of a true dragon, almost exactly like Haku's form, but slightly smaller, with silver white scales with a deep crimson, nearly the color of blood, to replace the forest blue-green mane of Haku's dragon form. This creature also did not have horns, just stunningly gorgeous eyes, the shade of a quality ruby. The dragon seemed to smile at her. Haku smiled, with a slight chuckle.

"She is my sister." He told her proudly. Chihiro looked at Haku, astounded, part wondering how it was possible for a river to have siblings. "Further up stream, she joins with what very little remains of my own river, just at the mouth of our supporting body of water. When the Kohaku river still existed in this world, she branched off of it. Our rivers fed off of the same body of water, thus we are siblings."

"She's a very proud river, although a young one. Slightly younger than me." Haku explained, smiling at his sister, Aikihara.

"So, this is the Aikihara river?" Chihiro suggested, never knowing that it had a name. Haku nodded proudly.

"She called to me, the other day when you found me here, she recognized my aura. A very small part of me is her, now, after all. We're closer than most sibling waters for that reason." Haku explained, his hand still linked to his sister. "Aikihara, thank you for everything, and helping Chihiro." The river spirit nodded in reply.

Aikihara turned towards Chihiro, and gave a deep nod of her head, signifying a bow. Chihiro responded with a smile and her own bow, just as deep. The dragon then turned for the water, and leapt in, transitioning back into water as she hit. Chihiro had never seen anything so graceful as that transformation, the dragon infusing with the water with hardly a splash.

"Thank you, Aikihara-sama!" Chirhiro called across the river. It seemed to purr it's response over the river rocks.

"We should head back, Chihiro. School's almost out, and Rumi will be waiting for us," Haku told the girl lightly, starting for the pathway.

"Yes, but Detention-sama…" Chihiro play whined, tagging along after. She wasn't going to look forward to their punishment, that was for sure.

Haku wrapped his arm around her waist and they continued down the sloping pathway to town. Chihiro allowed her head to drift to rest softly on the river spirit's shoulder, sighing pleasantly at the way things had ended up. Taro and she had finally realized their faults, she remembered what happened five years before, and she no longer considered herself completely insane. More importantly, she had him back; the spirit of the Kohaku River, who had saved her a total of three times now was returned to her life, upholding the timeless promise that she'd somehow forgotten. Spell or no spell, how had she forgotten the greatest thing to ever happen to her? The greatest _person _to ever happen to her?

"Chihiro?" Haku's voice suddenly called her from her thoughts, and she pulled her head off the boy's strong shoulder to catch sight of the looming school building, the two of them having somehow made it to the gate with her being deep in thought the whole time. "Are you feeling alright? You haven't said anything this whole time," Haku put a hand to her cheek, bringing her eyes to better match with his.

She smiled, just glad that she was even able to see those emeralds again.

"Yes, I'm fine," she told him honestly. The smile faded as she recalled what awaited them both in that building in front of them; long lectures of school conduct, the basic indignity of being involved with a school fight, school conduct again, and a pile of probably multiple detentions, a pile to accompany her previously assigned detention for lack of completed homework. Not to mention just dealing with possibly the strictest and most indignant of sensei's in the entire school.

Haku smiled at her, seeming to read her mind about the wonderment that had plagued her the way to the school, reading that it was again about her forgetting of him and the spirit world. He decided to tell her that it'd be alright, things could only get better from there, and that he would never leave her again. He decided to tell her with another deep and loving kiss, one that he and she very reluctantly broke out of moments later.

"Let's get this over with, Rumi's probably alone in there with Detention-sama." Haku told her gently as he stroked her hair again. Chihiro took his hand and led him towards the steps to the entrance.

The bell had rung just after they stepped foot into the school, signifying the end of school, and consequently, a flood of students to pour from almost every door in every hallway, yelling, celebrating, and otherwise being of an annoyance. Despite the clock-work flood that dominated the school, Haku and Chihiro found that passage in the upper floors was easy, seeing the crowds pause or flood around them with curious glances. These were obviously the same crowds that had witnessed the earlier scuffle, or heard it from their friends.

Whispers swirled, adding themselves to the noise of inane post-class babble of the corridors, but Haku didn't pay it any mind. He proceeded confidently through the cleared hallway with Chihiro, passing that now infamous dent, and a rather dismayed student, apparently the owner of one of the damaged lockers. He decided to remain quiet for now, not spur on any rumors about that silver aura that had been a manifestation of his returning powers. Just what he needed; people to needlessly question his Earthliness. Not that he truly cared what the simple high school students thought about him, but he couldn't exactly tell them outright about the spirit world. It wasn't something they were qualified to know.

'Let them have whatever legends that humans use to explain the beyond, but they need not know the truth in their lifetimes on Earth. Let them have their rumors, as well.' Haku resolved to himself, closing his eyes and taking in a slow and deep breath while the couple turned a corner that was particularly clouded with rumors and the humans who spread them.

Chihiro finally led him to a foreboding door, one that sent out the deepest of ominous vibes, he could sense with that sixth sense that blessed spirits and was particularly strong in him. He successfully guessed this door as belonging to the sensei that had copped the end of the fight, and obviously taken Rumi Namiko captive in the stead of himself, Taro and Chihiro.

Chihiro gave a quick knock, before sliding it open, pulling them both into that ominous room, a room that he sensed held a great deal of frustration and even fear of such menial punishment as detention for the entire ocean of students that presently wandered the hallways, flowing towards the nearest exit. Emanating from the room now was a deep menacing mood, he knew that came from the sensei herself.

Rumi turned to look at them, curiously, but relieved to see them both in one piece. Taro hadn't come back, apparently, but unsurprisingly. The couple both sank into united, respectful bows.

"Ah, Ogino-san, Hakuno-san, good to see someone taking initiative for their actions. Please, take your seats." She motioned to a pair of chairs in the corner. Her voice was amazingly calm, apparently the last period had allowed her to collect herself before they came back. Haku summoned both chairs with strong tugs, setting one before Chihiro before allowing himself the other.

"So, Namiko-san tells me that this whole spat between you and Fushiyama-san was about Ogino-san here?" The sensei suggested. A quick reading of Rumi told Haku that she hadn't mentioned his strange powers, and he felt immediately grateful to her. "She was in some sort of unhealthy relationship with this boy, and you were helping her. He got jealous and initiated the fight, correct?"

"That is correct," Haku nodded slightly, his emerald eyes intense again.

"Well, as righteous as your cause may have been, fighting on school property is against school regulations, and you will be punished as such." She coldly declared, stating the all too obvious. "Not to mention that dent in the lockers. You will be expected to pay for that damage, Hakuno-san."

"I understand, sensei." Haku nodded.

"Good. Now, your punishment; it is standard for those who fight on school grounds to be suspended according to the degree of their crime," Haku inwardly frowned. So protecting the person you love was a crime in this world? "Therefore, I think, considering you were defending someone else, and you didn't initiate the fight, you will only receive two days of in-school suspension. During the next two days, you will report to me instead of class, and you will do whatever task I assign you."

Haku merely nodded in understanding.

"You two, since you weren't actually fighting, will only receive detention," She rounded on the two girls to Haku's right side.

"And I hope that it is now clear that if I catch any of you involved in a fight again, your punishments will be greatly increased. We're clear on this?" She asked all three roughly, her hands planted on her desk, her eyes turning to each one of them.

"Crystal." Rumi and Chihiro both murmured together, while Haku displayed another rigid nod.

"Good. You are all dismissed," She lifted her hands off of the desk and sat back down, releasing them from her dominant hold. "If any of you see Fushiyama-san, tell him that he's to report to me at school tomorrow." The trio nodded, Haku returning his and Chihiro's chair to their original spots.

Chihiro sighed exasperatedly as the three of them drew farther from the office they'd just emerged, primarily unscathed, from. Rumi smiled at the two, proud of herself for handling the whole situation without giving out information on Haku's silver aura.

"I just told her you'd apparently taken a lot of karate lessons or something, and she bought it, thankfully!" She exclaimed happily.

"I'm just glad she didn't give us multiple detentions. My mom is gonna kill me when she finds out about the first one!" Chihiro laughed slightly, truly hoping that she was kidding about her mother's impending wrath. "But what about you, Haku? How are you going to pay for that dent?" she turned to her river spirit, concern written in her brown eyes.

"Don't worry about it, Chihiro, I have a bank account," Haku replied, recalling a generously filled plot in the town bank, compliments of Zeniba, who'd obviously set him up with the amount to help him considerably along in the human world. Back when he was "Hakuno," he'd wondered how he had so much money, among everything else that came as a surprise to him about his life. Nevertheless, he made a note to thank Zeniba even further the next time he saw the witch.

"Hmm, already using shortened names and holding hands now, eh?" Rumi mused from the side. "You guys are going to spill everything this afternoon, I hope you know. You guys so owe me for covering you when all of you ran off!"

"That means we're still on for the mall?" Chihiro said, more excitedly than ever thought possible, for a shopping mall that had not a lot to offer one with such a small budget.

"Yeah, if you guys are still game," Rumi replied, slightly perturbed by her friend's reaction.

"What do you say, Kohaku, you wanna get all this off your mind too?" the brunette of the trio turned back to her love.

Haku thought for a second, and nodded. He read her eyes as saying, 'you want to learn more about the human world?' Which, sufficed to say, he was. So they aimed themselves towards the town's train station, Rumi officially beginning to pester them about the name Kohaku, among everything else.


	13. Late Sleepers and Storm Warnings

-Catgirl-of-Bavaria- : Mwaha, I hath returned! Lol, my poor fictions keep getting neglected, longer and longer… Well, the good news is, I'm nearly done with my Economics course! Huzzah! Anyway, a little summary of my life for anyone who cares (lol) I have seen most of Miyazaki-sensei's most wonderful work, Howl's Moving Castle. This is thanks to Youtube, I regret to say (damn my poorness. I am saving so I can actually buy it though!) So due to my reliance on Youtube for said Miyazaki masterpiece, I have bits missing(my computer doesn't work with YT very well) and the english voiceover of Howl makes me want to stab things at times…But yeah, back when I was trying YT everyday for bits of the movie, I was also neglecting my story! But I'm past that phase 'til I get it on DVD, so yeah.

Regardless of my computer and Youtube's incompetence, Howl's Moving Castle _ROCKS!_

So, that brings us to this chapter, a fluffy installment, but one that ends in a bit of tragedy…Enjoy, and I'll be back soon with the next chapter, I swear to you! And thank you to my reviewers, you have all been so awesome, and I thank thee for your input!

Chapter 12- Late Sleepers and Storm Warnings

"Hakuno, hey!" the distinguishable voice of Manoro trailed Haku and Chihiro on their way to Haku's apartment. Haku turned, remembering instinctively that it was his human name.

Manoro came bounding up to them on the street, dressed in a uniform of some sort. He seemed flustered at the simple task of catching up to them.

"Ha, good news, I got myself a second job! Now I can pay the stinkin' rent!" he declared proudly, pulling his name-tag away from his torso for the pair to see. "It's gonna be Hell, with two jobs and school, but I'll be able to pay the rent, at least!"

"Good for you, Manoro," Haku congratulated, despite predicting that the man's new schedule wouldn't be able to last more than two weeks. It would keep him constantly working, and he knew that if Manoro didn't attend or hold at least a few parties in the span of said two weeks, he'd probably go nuts, thus quitting one of his jobs and throwing himself back into the rent problem. However, Manoro was a creature of spontaneity, trying his hardest to plan for the future, so Haku couldn't help but encourage him for the effort.

"Oh, hey, I never got your name," Manoro noticed Chihiro, attached to Haku by the hand. He was considerably more polite, probably out of fear of Haku's smack-upside-the-head of punishment.

"It's Chihiro Ogino," Chihiro smiled with a bow, relieved that he wasn't trying to hit on her again, and then wondering why he'd hit on her if he was six years older than she to begin with.

"Cool, so I guess you and Hakuno-chan here are an item?" Manoro teased, bringing a blush to Chihiro's face. She glanced to Haku, who held a look of question in his eyes, seeming to wonder what an 'item' must mean. Seeing her blush must have answered his question, for his own face grew pink.

"Well, you guys make a cute couple, I'll tell you that right now," Manoro plowed on, deepening Haku's blush even more. "Well, I gotta go surrender my paycheck to the land lord, before something unfortunate happens to the ownership of my housing, and I have to re-dye my hair…my new boss doesn't like my purple hair much!" Manoro sighed, putting his hands dramatically to his hips and throwing them both winks before starting off towards the apartment building and disappearing behind the front door.

"Item? Am I correct assuming that that means…a couple?" Haku quietly asked Chihiro, still pink in the face. Chihiro giggled with a nod. She wrapped her arms around his waist and they continued on their own path to his apartment building. Haku smiled, glad to be considered an "item" with none other than Chihiro, even if this human slang was entirely strange and new to him.

The sky above them had been ominous the whole afternoon, constantly seeming on the verge of emptying upon their heads, even when they were in the next town, visiting the mall. It had seemed to follow the trio back to their hometown after they departed from the mall, where all that had been done was a lap around the establishment, a visit to only one store, where Rumi had talked Haku into picking something out that he thought would be good for Chihiro, which he insisted on buying her, once a choice had been made and agreed upon by all three. After that they'd taken a stop in the food court for snacks of soba noodles, and all out discussion on what had happened after the fight in the school, and Chihiro and Haku's return of memories, including a hushed explanation of the spirit world, and Chihiro's adventure therein.

Rumi had taken it all quite well, she honestly hadn't found everything to be easy to believe, but she knew her friends wouldn't lie to her. Besides, if it had been made up, it just meant that they had wild imaginations and knew how to tell a good story—which would probably make them good authors in the future, at least. She'd made them both swear an oath that they'd one day take her there, when it was possible, and Haku and Chihiro both agreed. Haku knew that it was of course, dangerous for a human to enter the spirit world, but figured that if she was escorted, it wouldn't be that much of a deal, and she wouldn't end up disappearing, eating herself into pigdom or signing anything with Yubaba.

The trio had finally separated at the train station, Haku and Chihiro wanting to spend time to catch up with each other-Haku also not liking the establishment of a mall, sensing it as a replacement of nature, similar to his river's situation. He dreaded to think what it was like in the place called America, where the things littered the landscape, according to Rumi's commentary. Rumi had headed home, to catch up with her homework that had been neglected in her sickness, with a teasing scold to Chihiro about her own homework, the lack of which had landed her the first detention on her agenda, the next day in the afternoon.

The sky had been rumbling then, and it had only gotten worse thus far in the couple's journey to Haku's apartment. The sky couldn't hold back anymore, and finally let loose in an all out autumn tempest that poured and thundered around Chihiro and Haku as they ran to close the distance between them and his building, Chihiro scampering with her new outfit in a bag that she clutched tightly to her body, afraid to get it wet. Haku pulled the door open and pulled them both into the dry safety of the apartment lobby. Thunder burst outside as they climbed the stairwell and finally came to his door.

They both found themselves soaked, even after such a short time in the torrential rain outside, and Chihiro was instantly more grateful for the new change of clothes in her hands. Haku allowed her the bathroom to change, while he hurried into dry clothes, loose-fitting blue jeans and a white sleeveless shirt of satin, embossed with silvery highlighted patterns. He smoothed the shirt on to his torso after pulling it over his head, and laid himself out on the bed, listening to the downpour pound on the window above his headboard.

The sky gave a mighty rumble as the bathroom door opened, revealing Chihiro in her new clothes, a perfectly black turtle necked shirt that clung to her form, under a brilliant emerald colored wrap around shirt that was obviously designed after a Japanese kimono, sleeveless and proceeding down her slender waist to end just past her hips. Her skirt was the same perfect black as her first shirt, made of a thick but flowing material that reached her knees, and the girl's knee high socks took over in covering the rest of her legs. The outfit was even completed with a jade pendant, also purchased by Haku. He smiled from his bed as she turned in place, displaying the clothes once more.

"Thank you so much for buying it for me, Haku!" Chihiro said brightly, sinking into a deep bow in front of him.

"It looks good on you," Haku said silkily, pulling her to a seat on the bed next to him by the waist. "Besides, I needed some way to repay you for helping me get my memories back again, it's happened twice now!" He smiled, leaning his palms back on his pillow as he looked at her fondly.

"Oh, but…you helped me, too!" Chihiro said with a deep red coloring to her cheeks, leaning forward and towards the dragon. "You helped me remember too, and you kept your promise, but…I don't think I have anything to give you…" She blushed, not even knowing what type of gift one would give to a river god.

Haku looked at her for a second, then smiled, his emerald eyes glittering again. Chihiro felt his hand wrap itself gently around the back of her neck, pulling her slightly forward, and into his lips again. Just as she began to enjoy the kiss, however, he pulled out of it, revealing his deep emerald eyes and a smile that Haku was certain was the deepest he'd ever worn in his life.

"There's no gift I'd rather have than your love, Chihiro." He told her quietly, running his hand through the silk lengths of her brunette hair.

Chihiro stared at him for only a second, somewhat blankly, a blush still across her face. She lit up, realizing she hadn't just dreamt that as happening, and threw herself into his arms, her lips meeting his again, his responding avidly. He gently rearranged them both, not separating his lips from hers as he scooted back to lean against his headboard, letting her settle between his legs.

The only sound for quite a while was the patter of heavy rain on the window behind Haku's head, the couple's almost silent breaths as they accepted each other's tastes, both their lips and tongues dancing gracefully together. He clung to her, again finding himself wishing to never let her go. Chihiro felt pleasant shivers as Haku's hand ventured just under her shirt, coming to rest on her waist, gently using his grip to bring her into him even more. She momentarily mused, thinking that however good of actors were in romantic movies from the West that she'd seen, none of those epic kisses seemed anywhere near the level of her current position. None of those handsome beaus could have ever kissed this stunningly well, and none of those leading actresses would ever experience such a passionate kiss. Then again, they'd never kissed a river spirit, and they undoubtedly never would.

She embraced her own river spirit, knowing just how lucky she was to have him. Something in her childhood that had started out as an honest misdirection on her father's part, had ended up as this; an unmatchable love with someone who'd known her nearly her whole life, who'd befriended her and risked his own life to save her and her parents by going against Yubaba.

The couple broke reluctantly apart after a while, and sank to lie on the bed, situated on their sides so they could look at each other.

"Haku, how is everyone? Has Rin left the bath house while I was gone?" Chihiro closed her eyes and snuggled her forehead to connect with his, letting his arms curl around her, bringing her into his warmth.

"No, she's still working for Yubaba," Haku told her regretfully, stroking the brown strands off of her face, arranging her hair to perfectly frame her angelic face. "Kamaji still works the boiler, No-Face still lives in Swamp bottom with Zeniba." He listed their other friends.

"So, not much has changed, huh?" Chihiro opened her eyes, staring at Haku's green ones.

"Well, a little. Rin was promoted, a year or so ago, so her work isn't as tough. Kamaji insists that he's fine, he still uses that spell on the soot. After you left, though, some workers tried to negotiate their contracts as well, and Yubaba wasn't too pleased." Haku grinned, at the thought of that flustered side of Yubaba, even if it was a dangerous mood to cross her with. "Boh, too, he's growing up. He's less whiny now, and sometimes he even comes down into the bath house to help welcome guests. He visits Zeniba a lot, and she's fixed it so he can turn into a mouse at will," he told her with a slight laugh, remembering one such incident when he'd decided to transform in front of Yubaba. That had also ended with a sighting of the flustered Yubaba. Chihiro also smiled at the image, an undoubtedly hilarious one.

"What about Yubaba? And Zeniba, they're the same as ever, I suppose?" Chihiro smiled, remembering the contrasting personalities of the two witches. Haku nodded.

"Yubaba's just been more flustered. After the first couple of years after you left, she calmed back down, though, that was after the last of the workers tried to bargain with her." Haku grinned.

"What happened to you after I left?" Chihiro questioned, looking into Haku's eyes, almost childlike; cute and innocent.

"After I let you go, I went back to the Bath house, and cut myself from Yubaba, like I said I would. For a while, I was wondering around, flying above other towns, looking for anything to keep myself busy. I got bored after a while, and came back to the bath house, this time I helped out Rin with some chores, despite whatever Yubaba said about it. Rin and I have actually become a little closer as friends now, I think she gave me a chance when she heard I in fact hadn't been gone for months on one of Yubaba's ridiculous errands."

"After that, I let Rin to her work, and went to Zeniba's. She welcomed me, and even convinced me to stay with her and No-Face." Haku smiled nostalgically. "By then though, I'd run out of things to do to escape the pain of not being able to see you, and I eventually let it catch up to me, no matter how much I'd try to hide it from Zeniba. Then I found out that she'd been studying spells, trying to find one that could put me here. She eventually found one, and we cast it. So then, here I was, a human in your class, not knowing until today where I'd come from or why I was in love with you." He finished his story with his eyes shut, his hand still pulling itself through her tangle-less hair. The two were silent as they basked in each other's mere presence. Chihiro giggled through a crack of thunder outside.

"I just realized," she began, clinging closer to her love. "I named my little sister after Rin. I never knew why, but that name seemed perfect, it was so special to me, somehow. I guess it actually seems appropriate, even; she's just like Rin!" Chihiro laughed more.

Haku merely smiled and hugged her close, actually a little tired from the day's events. Chihiro had calmed too, and for many minutes, there was silence in the one roomed apartment, save for the ceaseless patter of rain above their heads that had actually become more of a soothing hum to the both of them.

"Haku?" Chihiro whispered after a while, pulling Haku out of the tempest outdoors that served as his lullaby; a bond between water beings.

"Nnn?" Haku acknowledged, nodding his head gently to touch cheeks with her.

"Will you take me back soon?" Chihiro whispered softly, not quite awake herself. "To see everyone? I want to visit them…" her voice faded as her eyelids fluttered in fight to stay open. Haku smiled, his eyes still not open.

"Of course, Chihiro" Haku whispered just as softly, soothing her further into sleep.

"Promise?" Chihiro gave a tiny yawn, brushing his cheek with her own again.

"Promise." Haku assured her, feeling sleep start to overtake him.

With the last promise, the two plunged into a surreal type of drifting sleep.

---

Haku pulled himself up gently, just enough to look around at his surroundings. The room had become dark, and the rain had apparently drifted off to dampen some other town. Outside, the street lights were lit, reminding him vaguely that the spirit world had just wakened.

"How long have we been asleep?" he quietly asked the dark, running a hand through his blue-green hair. He turned his glance towards the luminescent numbers that hovered where his nightstand was situated, reading it as seven forty five. Past sunset, obviously, and about three hours after they'd arrived at his apartment. He suddenly felt very relieved that Chihiro had told her parents that she didn't know when she'd be home, earlier at the mall.

"Chihiro," Haku gently rubbed the girl's shoulder, trying to draw her from slumber.

"Haku…?" Chihiro mumbled, her eyes starting to flutter open. "Oh, is it late?" she yawned, pulling herself up and settling into his arms. She received a kiss on the cheek as Haku sorted out her flustered hair.

"It's nearly eight o'clock. You should get home, before your parents worry." He lifted himself from the bed, leading her with him by the hand. Chihiro stood as well, albeit sleepily.

"Yeah, probably," she further yawned with a nod. "I wonder if daddy called…"

Haku let her collect her things as he woke himself with a splash of cold tap water on his face. He heard small beeps as Chihiro checked her caller ID file on the bed. She sighed, relieved to see that her father had given her the faith to come home at a reasonable hour without calling to remind her, during a nap with a boy, no less. That would have ended well, she told herself sarcastically. All she had to do was rush home before he decided that his faith had run out. She stood and started to the door, and met Haku about halfway there.

"Do you want me to walk you home? It's after dark," Haku suggested, wrapping his strong arms around her small shoulders, pulling the girl close to him again, a feeling he never tired of.

"I'll be fine, Haku. It isn't the first time I've wondered around in the night," She gave him a wink, at which he grinned, catching her drift.

"You're right, you'll be fine." Haku smiled, kissing her forehead through her brown bangs.

They headed the rest of the way to the door, hand in hand, where Haku gave her one last dazzling kiss for the night.

"See you at school tomorrow," Haku told her quietly, remembering he wouldn't see her for the majority of the day. Chihiro nodded and turned to go. "Be safe," Haku said after her as she continued down the hallway.

After the top of her brunette head had sunk below the stairs, he sighed and retreated into his dwelling. He decided on putting on a jacket and visiting the outside world, and pulled on a zip-up hooded sweatshirt, zipping the silver pull halfway up his chest. The door slid open easily, allowing him entry to his balcony, still damp from the storm earlier. Leaning on the railing, he took in the natural air, also still humid itself, knowing now why it had such a soothing effect on him and his nerves. He glanced up at the sky, finding that the moon was missing for the still heavy cloud cover. The clouds gave him a small rumble, and sent a few trickles of rain down to the river god. Haku tilted his face up to better catch the increasing droplets.

Somehow, though, the mounting storm didn't give him solace. The rumble of the clouds sounded more ominous than would be first thought, they told him something was coming. The rain became warnings upon his skin, waking him up with their bitter-sweetness, alerting him to something that lurked in the dark. What it was trying to tell him, however, he couldn't tell so much.

---

"Aw, man, I should have changed back into my uniform, now the clothes Haku bought me are gonna get wet!" Chihiro told no body in particular as she proceeded down the sidewalk, nearly to the inclining road that led to her neighborhood, holding her bag above her head in the vain attempts of protecting her attire from the quickly thickening rain.

The rain soon turned into another downpour as thunder grumbled overhead, challenging Chihiro's own grumbling over her dampening clothes.

"That's it, after this street, I'm getting my blazer out of my back pack!" She commanded herself, glaring through the heavy rain at a now empty intersection that she was just a few steps away from. She decided to take advantage of its emptiness, and then address her wardrobe before more cars came.

She made it to the corner, and halted just before the painted cross walk, making doubly sure that she was in the clear. She began her way over, halfway across, looking over across the intersection for good measure as she walked. Lightning glared overhead, startling the girl with its immediate thunder that followed. More startling, however was what was lit up by that lightning to her right.

A car, out of nowhere, was approaching her at a disturbing speed, on the wrong side of the road, no less. Chihiro saw the car not slow for her, and she demanded it of her legs to move, to carry her the rest of the way to her sidewalk destination, but they'd frozen up, her eyes fixated traitorously on the speeding vehicle. She vaguely and briefly told herself that this is what deer must feel like in this situation; that they should move, but their limbs have betrayed them and left them to die. Coincidently, her eyes had taken on the doe-eyed appearance as she stared; only strengthening her analogy.

All this had lasted no more than a second, before the car was too close for any comfort, and Chihiro was inwardly screaming at herself to move. She tried to use her voice to shout at herself, in hopes that it'd be more effective, but the sound only came as a whimper. The only sound was that car and the rain that fell all around her, and echoed in her ears.

"Chihiro!" A voice boomed behind her, just as she felt a strong shove that pushed her all the way to the curb, or more accurately, towards it, her feet getting caught on said curb, sending her to the ground on the safety of the concrete walk. The little doe had been saved from the mysterious lure of headlights.

She turned in her landing, only to see a sight that horrified her even more than that first confrontation with the car. It'd moved it's confrontation to the figure that saved her. She gaped through the rain, watching the figure tumble over the cars hood, the windshield, the roof, before finally landing on the concrete street. The only sounds had narrowed themselves in her senses to the sickening sound of too-fast moving metal and concrete colliding with human matter. The car itself, despite Chihiro's lack of interest in its progress, zoomed across the street to a screeching halt, staggering as well as the drunkard inside it, nearly hitting another car who'd come to the eventful intersection, driven by a woman who'd seen the whole thing.

"Oh, Kami!!" Chihiro hoarsely squeaked, running to the bleeding ragdoll that was her savior. Blood seeped from the broken person, as he tried to bring himself up, at least to the task of ensuring Chihiro had made it to safety. The crimson mixed with the all too plentiful rain, and made it spread even more over the concrete street.

Chihiro came to her knees just before the figure, noting that his hair and his build was frighteningly familiar. Her eyes widened as the man's own eyes lifted themselves weakly to hers. He doubled over with a cough that Chihiro gasped to notice carried an amount of blood. Tears began to stream down her cheeks, as those eyes found her again.

Those eyes that she'd always seen so strong. Eyes that she'd seen for almost that whole year. Since she'd started high school.

"Oh, Kami…" Chihiro barely whispered, gazing into those familiar eyes.


	14. Saved

-Catgirl-of-Bavaria- : I told you guys I'd return shortly! And I return with both great news and bad news; The great news is, I, just last night, got a muse thrown at me again pertaining to this story, so I now have a fun, kind of a twist of an idea for where this story will lead next haha, you'll all see. Well, actually there's a little more good news, I am running on the last of my economics course, I get to send it in on this Thursday. The bad news is, I'm running on the last of my economics course. Meaning, I have to wrap everything up with that in a matter of three days, then I will be gone at a conference type thing this weekend, which consequently means I will not be able to update for at least that long.

So. That being said, I give you the next chapter! Please, any Taro fans, please don't kill me… -hides behind the couch- I'll come out again by next week!

Chapter 13- Saved

"W…Why?" Chihiro whimpered.

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't have, Chihiro…" Taro told her through the blood that threatened to expel itself again. "Not like you were helping yourself, standing there staring…" Chihiro winced slightly, remembering her odd paralysis, the Deer in Headlights effect; she named it in the back of her mind.

"Because you're hurt, that's why!" Chihiro reasoned at a quivering whimper. "You shouldn't have…You didn't have to…" Chihiro fought the urge to transition into all out sobbing.

"Is everyone ok?" the woman from the second car finally made herself known to the two on the street. Chihiro resisted throwing a glare at the woman. No, of course they weren't alright! Couldn't she see the blood? "I've already called the police, they're bringing an ambulance."

Chihiro's respect for the woman suddenly brightened, at the prospect of an ambulance.

"An ambulance is coming! You're going to be fine!" She told Taro, tears still falling and mixing with the already watered down crimson on the street.

Taro only responded with more coughs, coughs that made Chihiro recoil slightly, seeing all the blood that added itself to the street with the expulsions. She vaguely flashed back to the time when Haku had been in a similar situation. She'd saved him then, and he was a powerful, strong-willed dragon while she was a scrawny ten-year old! She could definitely save Taro now, right?

"Don't be stupid…" He suddenly wheezed, wiping the blood from his lips. "They're not going to make it…" He sounded worse and worse with each word that he fought to pass his lips.

"No! I'm going to help you! You're going to be fine!" Chihiro cried, denying that she couldn't help him in return. She was now leaning towards him, her hands getting soaked with the blood-rain that poured on the concrete around them. "They'll take you to the hospital, and you'll be ok, and I'll visit you until you're better!" Her cries were getting desperate now, tears pouring themselves down her rain soaked cheeks.

"You know that's not going to happen, Chihiro." Taro wheezed, noticing some blood that was trickling down the side of his face. He'd never let Chihiro know, but his vision of her was growing hazier by the second. He remembered having hit his head hard. On the car or on the street, he wasn't sure. Besides that, he would have sworn that someone had stabbed him; it certainly felt like a knife was sticking in his chest.

"No…No…you can't!' Chihiro's cries had quieted, not wanting to admit that he was right. Taro's hand suddenly grasped hers and her eyes found his.

"Chihiro, leave it be. Move on. That's what you guys have been telling me all day." He used an amount of energy on holding eye contact and even merely speaking. Chihiro felt his grasp weaken. Somewhere near, she heard the whine of police and an ambulance.

"Taro…please…" Chihiro begged, the tears coming steadily and in huge droplets. "This is different than that! Don't just…"

"Chihiro." Taro said, quieter and weaker than ever. "Tell that Haku kid…He'd better take care of you. Or I'll haunt him." He attempted to smile, but it came as a weak grin. His eyes closed and whatever altitude he had above the street was decreasing steadily.

"Taro?" Chihiro begged again. "Taro!"

The flashing red and blue lights finally poured over the scene as Chihiro fought the sound of screeching sirens, screaming for Taro. The cars and the box-like ambulance came to a halt, strategically blocking off the intersection, blue and red flashing over Chihiro's already hazy vision as she shook her friend by the shoulders, begging and begging him to wake up.

The blue and red streamed over the crimson street, as the liquid seeped with the flow of rain to a nearby gutter. Thunder rumbled regretfully overhead as the sky continued to rain down upon the scene as the police pulled Chihiro off of Taro, allowing the paramedics to their duties. The medics made it official as Chihiro went limp in the arms of the police officers that held her.

"Time of Death, seven fifty-six PM." The voice echoed bitterly through the girls head as she stared emptily at the blood that poured through the gutter below, watching her tears fall with the rain and join the river of scarlet.

---

Haku held the collar of his hoodie closer around his neck, his hood drawn over his spruce hair as he briskly walked the path that he sensed traces of Chihiro's aura on. The storm had brought him here, with strange, vague warnings of something foreboding. Something was happening in this rain, and he didn't want to think that it involved Chihiro. He decided to try and prove his senses wrong and took after her, using whatever traces of her that he could sense to direct him.

He heard an unnerving sound from behind him, some sort of mechanical whine. It grew closer, pounding into his ears unpleasantly. Finally, he found himself in blue and red light, watching vehicles speed by on his set path. Whatever knowledge he mysteriously had of humans told him that they were emergency vehicles, used in situations of crime or accidents with people that were hurt.

It seemed as though his senses were winning this battle, as he watched the vehicles speed off on the path he'd discerned as Chihiro's.

He set off in a run, now following both the traces of Chihiro and those sinister vehicles. He turned the same corners as the vehicles turned, and saw their red and blue warning lights far ahead as they turned another corner. Soon after, those terrible sounds of the sirens stopped. They'd obviously made it to where they wanted to go. The blue and red still flashed from where he could see, and he sped after it, finally turning the final corner. The next intersection in his vision was obviously what he'd been sensing.

A few cars littered the place, one parked arbitrarily on the sidewalk across from the commotion. Haku sensed even more unease about that car, and noticed that the windshield had quite a spider web of cracks in it. Just outside the car, police officers were talking to another man, obviously the driver. Nearer the commotion, was another car, parked as if it had been abandoned in mid traffic, its warning lights blinking. The emergency vehicles had crowded around one point, the street that the sidewalk Haku was presently following led him to. He couldn't see anything for the large box-shaped vehicle that had parked in his view.

Haku quickened his pace, his unease growing with every step. This path hadn't failed at giving him Chihiro's aura. Finally he reached the beginning of the crosswalk, and proceeded around the large ambulance.

The sight he saw made his breath catch unpleasantly in his throat. Blood covered the road, seeping into the gutter with the rain that it had joined. There were people in uniform, lifting a makeshift cot with wheels, a figure draped with white cloth on top of it. Haku sensed that the figure wasn't Chihiro, however still sensed great unease about it. Then where was Chihiro?

He decided to venture a look at the sidewalk nearest the blood, and saw a gaggle of police, all babbling inanely to one another. From the distance, Haku focused his senses on their conversations.

"The lady says that the car across the street came out of nowhere, hit the guy, sent him straight over the thing. It almost hit her, then came to a stop over there." A first officer.

"What about the driver? He was drunk, I presume, he was on the wrong side of the road!"

"Yeah, we've got him in cuffs right now. He kept saying something…'my son, my son' or something…"

"So the kid was his son, eh? Talk about ironic." A third cop said, shaking his head in dismay

"Well, we ain't got any proof of that yet…"

"What of the girl, have you gotten anything out of her yet?" The first officer said, catching Haku's attention.

"She won't budge, she just curled up next to the wall over there, saying 'it's just a dream, it's just a dream.' I can't get her to come out of it."

Haku heard enough. That was all he needed. He prowled around the vehicles, keeping his eye on the scene, scanning for Chihiro. He came to the sidewalk with all of the commotion, and finally saw her.

Rain matted hair poured over her down-turned head, her arms were tucked in between her torso and legs, and she was rocking slightly. A police officer gave another go at trying to get the story from her, placing a hand on the girls back.

"Come on, miss, we need your side of the story," the woman consoled. "It's going to be alright, you're safe now."

Chihiro kept muttering.

"It's just a dream, it's just a dream..." Her voice was small and shaking, and Haku could actually hear the tears.

"Excuse me." Haku told the startled officer as he knelt down to Chihiro's level.

"Wait, who are you? Are you involved in this?" The officer demanded. "This is a crime scene!"

"I'm making myself involved." Haku coldly stated, his steely eyes bearing into the young officer. "Question me if you will, but you won't get much out of it. And don't question me until I give myself to you." He turned his dark spruce head to Chihiro, who was obviously in her own world.

"Chihiro," Haku's voice turned silky again as he gently took her shivering shoulders into his hands. "Chihiro, it's alright. I'm here."

Chihiro's muttering ceased, but she still quivered in his hands. Her brown eyes slowly peeked through her matted bangs at him, revealing them as full of plentiful tears. Her face was pale, even for her light complexion.

"Haku…" She just barely whimpered, allowing herself to fall, still curled up, into his body. "Haku, It…I…" she stammered weakly, hardly comprehensible above her sobs.

"Shh, don't force yourself." Haku soothed, removing his jacket. He gently draped the material around her body, being sure to cover her head with the hood as well. "Take your time. I'm here and I'm not leaving you."

"Who is this kid?" Haku heard one of the gruffer male officers ask the woman officer that remained behind the pair.

"Must be a friend or something. Either way, she's at least out of the muttering stage…" The woman told him.

Haku held her, ignoring the police that were behind him, feeling her cold face pressed against his neck. Her shivering began to slow, and her tears must have finally begun to run out. After a few moments of silence and letting the rain wash over them, Chihiro relaxed slightly.

"Chihiro?" Haku asked, wondering if she was ready for words. Chihiro drew slightly away from his chest, and wiped her tear-stained cheeks with a hand, only to replace the tearstains with traces of the blood rain that still coated her hand.

"Taro…" She began, "Taro is…gone…" She couldn't bring herself to state his true status.

Haku's eyes widened. That was the figure that they loaded into the ambulance that had since disappeared from the scene? The figure that uneased him…

"Taro? You're sure?" he whispered. "What happened?" He lightly stroked her cheek, trying to ease the girl in any way he could.

"I was crossing the street…that car was coming out of nowhere…I thought they were gonna hit me, but…" Chihiro choked on more tears. Haku rubbed her back, easing it along.

"Taro came, and he…He pushed me out of the way…" Chihiro whimpered, having the trauma catch up with her again. Her grip tightened on his white shirt. "The car…it hit him instead…" She finished weakly. Haku vaguely heard the scribbling of a writing utensil on a notebook behind him. Apparently the cop was taking down Chihiro's account, taking advantage of Haku's ability to get her to speak. "There was blood everywhere…I didn't know it was him until I saw his face…I couldn't save him, Haku…I couldn't…I didn't know what to do…!" She whimpered, letting the tears come forth again.

"It's ok, there was nothing you could do…" Haku held her closer, trying his hardest to comfort her.

"But I wanted to help him…I helped you back then, but I couldn't keep him alive for the ambulance…" Chihiro cried harder. "I'm the reason he's gone! He wouldn't have gotten hit if I had just moved…!"

"Chihiro, it isn't your fault," Haku told her firmly, but gently. "Don't blame yourself. It was an accident, nothing more."

No matter how much she tried to dispute them, Chihiro felt eased by Haku's words, and let herself agree. Her knees finally connected to the sidewalk, the rest of her body melding into his. Haku cradled her weakened body, stroking the wet knots from her hair. She still felt cold to him, and he suddenly feared that she may get a fever if she stayed outside for too much longer.

"It's going to be alright, Chihiro. I'm taking you home." He told her softly as he transferred her into his arms, one hooked under her knees, the other supporting her back, while she wrapped her own around his neck with a teary nod. He lifted the slender girl with ease from the ground, drawing some objection from the officers that prowled the scene.

"You can't take her yet, we need an official story from her!" The gruff male grumbled at Haku.

"She's already given her story, if you bothered to listen. She's going to get sick if she's out here for too long!" Haku coldly stated, using the same tone he used against the arrogant frog workers in the bath house.

"What are you, her brother or something? Are you even authorized to remove her from the scene?" The male officer wouldn't give it up, and Haku was growing more aware of the rain that poured on them, soaking Chihiro even more, and only helping her on the way to a fever.

"The only authorization I need is that I care for her and her well-being," Haku stated impatiently, almost missing the high up position he had when working for Yubaba. It at least allowed him a great deal of liberties. "My name is Hakuno, I'll give you my address if you want, but I am taking Chihiro home either way."

"We can't let a witness of this possible crime away so easily, it just isn't part of the process." The man talked down at Haku, only bringing the dragon more agitation. "We need to question her so we can persecute appropriately."

"It's obvious to even me that the driver of that car is the one you're looking for, and you already have him. So, you can question her later. She's had a trying time and it was hard enough for her to relive it the first time." Haku stated. He couldn't help but be annoyed with how oblivious these humans were, it seemed as though Chihiro was almost something of a suspect in the incident to them. He pushed that annoyance to the back of his mind for the time being, not eager to further this confrontation. "Besides, I think I'm correct in assuming that your female partner has already gotten her story?" He raised an eyebrow as the mentioned woman came behind the broad officer.

"He's right, sir. I got the general idea of it, which is enough to go on for now. We can further question her later." The woman told her partner, her eyes also blazing. The man glared at both the officer and Haku, but finally gave in.

"Alright, fine. But we're questioning her tomorrow. What's her name?" the man readied his own paper.

"Chihiro Ogino." Haku told them blankly. The man scribbled the kanji down and gave them one last indignant look before continuing his business with the drunk driver. The woman smiled lightly at them, and held out a sack that Haku recognized as Chihiro's back pack.

"Here. Sorry about him, he's always like that." She gave a quick bow, which Haku returned politely with the nod of his head. "Now get her home so she'll be ready tomorrow afternoon." Haku nodded again, shouldering the sack and getting better support on Chihiro, who still tightly grasped his neck. He focused for a second, calling his senses to where her house was located. His sixth sense told him the way, using Chihiro's own energy to display it to him.

For a while, he walked briskly with her in hand, following along the path that his senses had told him. The rain slowed, but didn't disappear, and he made sure quite frequently that the hood of his jacket covered her face.

Finally he saw that blue house at the end of the street; the house that his senses had told him was hers. The lights inside were cozily lit, shining out into the haze of rain. Lightning continued flashing over the rooftops as he made for the blue bi-level house at the end of the way, the rain refused to stop. He was nearly there now, he hugged Chihiro to him as he passed the beige house that sat next to the blue on the top of that hill.

"Haku!" A worried voice carried to him over the bellowing thunder.

Haku looked towards the beige house that he'd just passed up, finding the door swinging shut by itself, a figure rushing to him and pulling on a thick coat, tugging their arms through disobedient sleeves. The closer the figure drew, Haku recognized the head of blonde hair through the lamp lit haze.

"Rumi?" Haku asked, suddenly realizing that Chihiro had mentioned that she lived next door to her friend.

"Hey, what's going on? What's up with Chi?" She leveled herself with Haku and the girl in his arms. Haku glanced down and realized she'd drifted off to sleep, somehow maintaining her clutch around his neck. Rumi's eyes were deep with worry as she tossed her coat off, for all it had even been on at that point, and slung it over Chihiro's legs. Her blonde hair clung to her face as she stared at Haku, questioning.

"I'll explain everything in a minute, we have to get her out of the rain…" Haku trudged through puddles on the sidewalk with Rumi closely following.

Rumi took the liberty of pressing the bell, and followed it with a light shout through the door, asking for the Oginos.

"Ah, Rumi, hi! Chihiro's not home yet, but…" Chihiro's mother, Yuuko answered the door, noticing Rumi in the foreground before the strange boy behind her who bore a cloaked figure in his arms. "Chihiro-chan?" She merely whispered, seeing a peek of brown hair from Haku's concealing hood.

She immediately stood aside, allowing the group to enter. Haku immediately sensed a familial aura, one of loving. Along with the smell of whatever was dinner at the moment.

"What? Rumi is here?" a small and ecstatic voice carried from further in the house. Haku sensed it as Rin, Chihiro's little sister. Sure enough, a little sienna haired girl bounded into the entrance room, chopsticks still in hand.

"Could you direct me to Chihiro's room?" Haku asked Yuuko politely and with a bow of his head as he managed to pull off his shoes with no more than his own feet.

Yuuko merely stood, stunned at her daughter's condition, and gave a small, quavering nod. She began up the flight of stairs, murmuring a small, 'this way.' Haku followed closely, as he heard another voice emit itself from further in the house, obviously the kitchen.

"Hey, is that Chihiro home yet?" Akio, Chihiro's father said through a mouthful of food, and poked his head out from a wall, placing Haku and Chihiro into his plain sight, as he ceased chewing on some morsel.

Haku saw his face try to calculate what he was seeing, which Haku figured was being interpreted as something suspicious. The boy had, after all, just come into The man's house with his eldest and unconscious daughter in his arms. Haku couldn't say himself that he blamed Akio as the man dropped whatever food was in his grasp and ran to the stairs after them. Haku merely followed Yuuko through the hallway at the top of the stairs.

"Here it is…" Yuuko politely said as Haku proceeded to the bed, Rin running ahead and drawing the sheets back to better aid him in his cause. Haku smiled in thanks at the girl, who responded with a small smile of her own before turning her attention back to her sister, who was now being laid gently onto her bed of green. "May I ask who…" Yuuko began as Akio Ogino caught up to them and interrupted with inquiry of his own.

"Who are you and what's happened to Chihiro?" He demanded from the door.

Haku made sure that Chihiro's head rested right on the pillows and that the drenched jackets were removed before turning to face his interrogator.

"I am Hakuno, Chihiro's friend, Ogino-san." He said with a deep bow. "As for what happened, I can explain all of that, as soon as I know she is resting peacefully."

His silky and polite tone had obviously taken back her father, for he was struck speechless for a second or two.

"Do you have any towels I could use?" Haku enquired. Rumi answered his question, bringing in a small arsenal of towels, one resting on her own head.

"Here. Yuuko-san said I could use all we needed," She added, catching Akio's puzzled look. Yuuko nodded from the hallway closet to her husband. Akio decided to let the two teenagers tend to his daughter, and reluctantly turned, following his wife's summoning.

"Come on dear, we'll make some tea." The kind woman's voice sounded as the stairs gave their just barely audible strains to the weight of the adults.

"Rin-chan, why don't you go help your momma? You could make some hot soup for Onee-chan," Rumi suggested to the small girl who stood just next to the foot of the bed, looking at her sister, and the boy named Hakuno. "Chihiro is just sleeping, she'll be fine. You should go make some soup for her. I'm sure she'd love it." Rumi smiled at the girl, who reluctantly turned after some thought, and scampered to the kitchen.

Silence filled the room as Haku carefully dabbed at the rainwater and tears from Chihiro's face, Rumi drying her friend's legs and removing the girl's shoes. The fluffy pink towel still hung from her damp head, obviously still there from when she was drying her own head. She hooded Haku with a green one and pulled Chihiro's desk chair to sit next to Haku, who used the edge of the bed as his seat.

"So, what happened?" Rumi asked Haku quietly, somberly.

"It's Taro." Haku simply said after a little pause.

"Wha- Taro? He didn't try to hurt her, did he?" Rumi suddenly asked him in a hushed whisper, leaning in her seat towards him.

"No," Haku said, his throat beginning to constrict itself. "It's not that."

Rumi simply stared, wondering what he meant. Haku took in breath as his emerald eyes scanned Rumi's deep black ones.

"He saved her."


	15. Chihiro's Comfort

-Catgirl-of-Bavaria-: Ah, finally, I have gotten on my own computer for an update. My homework is now sent off, here's hoping that I get good news back from that. Otherwise I have to take it again, and that's a good chunk of money out of my own pocket that I really don't have…But, anyway, It's been a week since I updated, due to the fact that I haven't had access to a computer, much less the internet or my story. But, I have returned! And this time I have Howl's Moving Castle on DVD. Yep yep, it finally came in the mail yesterday (what a lovely Halloween present) I have seen it in both English and Japanese now, and I actually like it both ways. I think me and Christian Bale's voice over job have finally come to terms with each other, but I still greatly prefer the Japanese version…Which is what I always prefer. Heh.

By the way, **Happy Halloween! **'Tis the best holiday of them all. Read and Review, please! A lot of talking in this one, not so much ChiHaku fluff or plot advancement, so I'll put up the next one as well in a few minutes.

Chapter 14- Chihiro's Comfort

"You. Hakuno." A deep voice commanded from the doorway of Chihiro's emerald green room. Haku tore his eyes away from Chihiro, now sleeping peacefully in her emerald nest of blankets, her matted hair combed out by Rumi. Rumi turned her attention to Chihiro's father as well, still somber from the story she'd just heard Haku recite. "Time for an explanation."

Haku nodded obediently, accepting that the time had come to face her father. Rin came in past him as he made his way to the door, and ran to Rumi's arms. Haku trailed Chihiro's father silently through the house, down the stairs and into the kitchen. Thunder clashed outside as he sank into a chair, across from Akio himself, Yuuko behind him in the kitchen, tending to the tea and soup that Haku could smell from there.

"Now, what happened to Chihiro?" He asked Haku firmly, but obviously calmed from the initial shock that he'd experienced.

Haku took in breath in a silent sigh, and began his story with the visit to the mall, and then explaining that Chihiro had come to his house for a while after, omitting of course the part that contained them falling asleep together in his bed.

"When she left, I got this bad feeling," Haku told him, assured that this way of putting it wouldn't arouse suspicion of his possession of a sixth sense. "After a while, it got to me, and I decided to follow after her, just to make sure everything was safe, to disprove the feeling I had."

"Eventually, I came to an intersection. The police and an ambulance were there. Apparently, from what Chihiro told me, and whatever information I picked up from the officers, she was crossing the street when a drunk driver came out of nowhere, straight for her."

He heard a slight falter in the cooking woman behind Akio Ogino, but continued, eager to finish the story and return to Chihiro's side.

"She thought that the car was going to hit her, and it was. But…" Haku paused, coming to the part of Taro again, which apparently was the hardest for him to pass, for whatever reason. "She was saved."

"Saved? How?" Akio asked, on the edge of his seat. Yuuko was pretending to scrub some dinner dishes, but was avidly paying attention.

"It was Taro Fushiyama. He pushed her out of the way, and consequently was hit himself." Haku said, lidding his weary green eyes. "He didn't survive."

"Taro-san? Her boyfriend?" Yuuko said from behind her husband, apparently abandoning of her dishes. Akio's expression had turned to something between surprise and disbelief.

"Well, former boyfriend. They broke up today. On good terms." Haku added hastily, but masterfully calm. "Chihiro was shaken up, to say the very least. I managed to find her, get the story from her, and negotiate with the police officers to let me bring her here. They will be wanting to question her tomorrow, I'm afraid."

Silence dominated the room, occasionally interrupted by thunderclap. The sound of downpour on the windows seemed to deafen them as Haku sat straight in his chair, peering at the wooden material of the table.

"And what about you?" Akio finally asked. "Just who are you?"

"I'm Hakuno, I'm a friend of Chihiro's." Haku stated, using the name that Chihiro had already referred to him as before they remembered that he was Haku.

"You're the new friend, right? You seem awfully close to her, for knowing her only four days." Akio told him, bringing a slight raise of an eyebrow from Haku. "You can't be her new boyfriend, so soon."

Haku thought about it. He'd known that they'd accepted each other as one another's love, but had they made it official, in human terms anyway, by becoming boyfriend and girlfriend? He felt his face betray him and grow slightly hot, as he hoped that it had only been a change in temperature, not in outwardly visible color.

"No," Haku said uncertainly. "But I care for your daughter more than anything." The young man settled in saying.

'More than that, I love her more than anything…' he assured himself, feeling somewhat strange about not saying it out loud.

"If it had been me in Taro's situation, I would have done the same. Even knowing what came out of it." He said to the table, silently commending Taro himself, giving him boundless thanks.

"But, you've only known her for four days, how can you feel that way?" Akio asked, somewhat puzzled and dumbfounded by the boy's unconditional love.

Haku smiled slightly.

"I know it sounds absurd or even somehow suspicious, but I cannot help the way I feel about her." Haku said, not ready to bring in more questions by saying that they'd met and fallen in love before. "It's a sort of love at first sight?" He said, using some human term he'd picked up from the television in his apartment.

Chihiro's father stared at Haku for a moment, trying to read the boy's deep emerald eyes. Emerald; just like his daughter's room. The same eyes that stared at him from every poster of that strange dragon in her room, that dragon that she was obsessed with since they'd moved to that town. The boy's eyes, now that he thought on it, were just as every bit intense and piercing as those dragons' eyes.

'Strange,' he told himself, yanking himself from thought over the odd coincidence.

"I think it's wonderful that Chihiro-chan has someone like you to take care of her in this time," Yuuko's voice came into the conversation. "I think it's time you went back to her." Akio looked at her for a second, but then reluctantly nodded. Haku, meanwhile, smiled and rose from his seat, only to sink into another deep and respectful bow.

"Thank you, Ogino-san," he told them both before disappearing to the stairwell. Had it just been him, or did Chihiro's father seem to hesitate as soon as their eyes connected that last time?

"How'd it go? They didn't fry you too bad, did they?" Rumi asked as he came into the room. Rin had fallen asleep in the teen's arms, so Haku knew it was safe to talk.

"No, I just explained what happened, and that I somehow fell in love at first sight with her…" Haku sighed quietly, sinking into a seat on the edge of the bed, careful not to disturb the mattress or blankets that much. "He probably thinks I'm insane or untrustworthy, to only have met her four days ago, but it'd certainly be easier than trying to make up some wild story about us supposedly meeting five years ago…They don't remember a thing about the other world, and I plan on keeping it so."

Rumi smiled. It would definitely put Haku on the spot with Chihiro's protective father, but it would save Chihiro a lot of questioning. It was something she didn't need right then. Haku was truly her guardian, she told herself as she gazed at her sleeping friend.

"Oh, man, I should go tell my parents what's going on, they're probably wondering where I am…" Rumi suddenly realized and gently got up, carefully placing Rin on the bed next to her sister. "I kind of ran straight out the door when I saw you out there, I didn't say a word to them…" She further explained hastily, gathering her coat that lay on the floor with Haku's own hoodie.

"They'll understand, so I'll probably be back soon." Rumi pulled on her coat and then gathered the little girl again into her arms, and headed out the door to the purpose of setting the girl in her own bed and being on her way. "I'll see you in a minute, Haku-kun."

Haku stared after her, his eyes threatening to lid themselves with exhaustion, and listened as Rumi told her story to the Oginos just downstairs, followed by a farewell from Yuuko Ogino and the shutting of the front door. At this, he turned back to watch over his beloved human girl, wondering what would come next for them in the approaching night. He wanted to stay by her side until he was sure that she was alright, but knew it may not be possible to do so. Her father was obviously protective, and even though Haku sensed some trust had been given to him by Akio, he was still sensing unease, and he'd probably sense more if he suggested that he stay the night with her in that emerald room.

He sighed and decided to settle on the floor just next to the bed, his left arm slung on the edge of the mattress, his head leaning against that arm. He lay his hand to connect with the girl's arm, rubbing just gently, not trying to wake her, just offering solace to her as she slept. He sat for a while, the haze of sleep altering his sense of time. He vaguely heard the patter of the downpour on the window near him, vaguely heard the clatter of dishes in the kitchen as Yuuko undoubtedly cleaned them, the booming voice of Akio, talking undiscerning to Yuuko. In his darkened vision, he focused on Chihiro's calm breaths coming from the bed above him. Even then, that sound eventually slipped away from him as sleep pursued him.

"Haku…?" A very distant and quiet voice fought through Haku's now hazy senses. Perhaps he was finally reaching the dream phase of sleep. "Haku…" The voice was a little quieter this time, but it had become clearer to the river spirit, and the rain began to come back into his senses. He thought for a second, his mind a little obscure from his sudden nap. He last thing he remembered was her, Chihiro, sleeping. He was on the floor now, he recalled, next to her bed. The voice that said his name, that was her. Then, Chihiro had awoken?

Haku forced his eyes to open, found his vision filled with a sight of her bed's leg and the hardwood floor. Blinking a few times to unfog his sight, he lifted his head to look at Chihiro. She was still laid back in her position on the bed, but her face was tilted towards his, watching him.

"Did I wake you?" Haku asked her gently, finding his hand was still lightly pressed against her arm.

"No, I don't think so…" Chihiro yawned, turning her whole body and creeping closer to the boy and bringing his arm to wrap around her. Haku eagerly obliged her request and hugged her gently with that arm, bringing his cheek to brush hers affectionately.

"How are you feeling?" Haku whispered into her ear, giving her a light kiss on the cheek.

"Alright, I suppose…" Chihiro murmured. "I blanked out, then?" She asked.

"Before you even got home." Haku said quietly to her, stroking her hair again. The two were silent for a short while, letting the rain and thunder outside take their sense of hearing.

"So it wasn't a dream…" Chihiro whispered regretfully. Haku replaced himself on the edge of her bed, allowing her to crawl into his arms as he leaned against the headboard.

"No, sadly it wasn't…" Haku confirmed, holding her tightly and kissing her hair, feeling her bury her face into his chest, her legs curling up on his lap. "I wish I could say it was."

Haku's eyes snapped open at a sharp knock at the door, and found standing against the door frame, Chihiro's father, obviously the source of the knock. Chihiro and Haku simultaneously released each other, both hoping that the heat in their cheeks wasn't visible to the man.

"Rumi's back, she'll be sleeping in here tonight, Chihiro-chan," Akio told his daughter softly, deciding after all to dismiss the fact that they'd just been cuddling. He couldn't place it, but this Hakuno was somehow trustworthy to him.

Haku looked back at Chihiro blankly, wondering again what he should do with himself for the night. He felt better in the fact that Rumi would be there with Chihiro, but he still couldn't shake the urge to watch over her as well.

"Thanks, Odosan," Chihiro smiled tiredly, leaning her head onto Haku's shoulder, not being able to resist any longer. "What about you, Haku?" she suddenly and quietly asked Haku, who looked at her to see her eyes somewhat pleading to him. Did he really have to leave her, when even she obviously wanted him to stay?

"We have a guest room, Hakuno-san, you're welcome to it for the night." Yuuko invited from the hallway behind Akio. "It's the least we can do for you keeping Chihiro safe and bringing her home."

"Not to mention the weather out there is killer…" Rumi's voice carried into the room as well as the blonde headed through the door and past Yuuko and Akio, carrying with her a tray of steaming tea and soup, a back pack of her overnight necessities equipped to her back. "Good luck getting all the way through that, I think it's gotten worse!" She set the tray on the bed just as a particularly vicious crash of thunder coursed through the house, proving Rumi's point.

"Will you need to call your parents, Hakuno-san?" Yuuko asked politely as the young man got to his feet, his hand not leaving Chihiro's.

"Ah, no." Haku said, almost reluctantly. "I'm an orphan. I live by my self further into town. It's fine." Yuuko looked at him, surprised, almost.

"Well, alright, then, let me show you around." Yuuko beckoned him out the bedroom door. He followed, closely followed by Chihiro, who insisted that she stay with him until bedtime.

"Here's the guest room, it has its own bathroom, you're welcome to the bath and towels," She indicated a well-kept room decorated in shades of light blue, an overall soothing color to the river spirit. "You know where the kitchen is, you can have something to eat, if you're hungry."

"Thank you, Ogino-san," The dragon allowed another polite bow. Yuuko smiled, and decided to journey downstairs with her husband in tow, leaving the three friends to support each other in the tragedy.

Chihiro and Haku found their way back to her emerald room, finding Rumi in the process of setting up her futon. They all decided to gather the plentiful blankets on the floor, settling into them, Chihiro leaning into Haku, Haku leaning on the bed, Rumi sitting just next to them. They began to talk about anything, that is, anything that wouldn't lead to the discussion of Taro. The two girls had focused on sharing their life before Taro, even before Chihiro's adventure in the spirit realm to Haku, who gladly joined in the laughs wherever appropriate. Though it felt strange to be laughing so innocently, given the earlier events, he was relieved to see that his Chihiro was improving.

"You sure you ain't sick, Chi?" Rumi fussed over her friend, taking her temperature with the palm of her hand.

"Yeah, I'm feeling fine…" Chihiro said, quietly protesting, but allowing her friend to worry over her. She physically felt much better, she'd changed into a dry sweater and PJ pants, and she was in the arms of the river spirit who always cared for her so well. What more could she ask for?

Only for Taro to be back, she realized, her face falling only slightly.

"You're tired, Chihiro." Haku told her firmly, his sixth sense helping him in analysis, catching her fading. "We should let you get some rest, prepare for tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Chihiro turned her head upside down from his lap to look at him questioningly. Haku bit his lip before explaining.

"The police officers. They, ah, want to see you, about tonight." Haku's eyes gazed at her apologetically as she assessed the situation. She smiled lightly.

"Thanks, Haku, for getting me more time. I might be able to… deal with it better, I guess… tomorrow…" She snuggled deep into the shelter of his chest, finding herself suddenly disappointed that she'd have to leave the alcove. "I'm sorry for imposing…"

"Not at all, Chihiro, you're never a bother to me." Haku smiled into the crest of her hair before forming his lips into a kiss on the spot.

Chihiro was eager to assist her friends in replacing the emerald sheets onto her bed. It had indeed been a long day, and as much as she dreaded having blazing nightmares, she wanted to get to sleep. The fight between the two men of her life, her memories returning, being with Haku, the tragic incident on the way home; the whole day had been a dramatic roller coaster, and she was more than ready to dismount. She took comfort in the fact that things could only get better, and that Rumi was next to her, and Haku would be just a door down in the morning. That was all she needed.

She allowed herself to be wrapped up by Haku, who had quite avidly risen to the task of taking the best care of her. He gave her a smile and leaned over, giving her a kiss on the cheek, and a whisper of comfort. Before she drifted off to semi-sleep, she promised herself that she'd be strong, for her river spirit. She owed him that much, for all the help he was giving her.

He'd only just left her before she fell asleep. Rumi, meawhile, watched on fondly. They gave each other smiles as the boy left the room to find his own sleep


	16. Pure Love

-Catgirl-of-Bavaria-: Here it is, another chapter update! It took a little longer to get this up than I expected-my America Online connection kind of died for no reason. Can't wait to get Comcast hi-speed…I really love this chapter, personally, good ChiHaku fluff. Mwahaha, I love those two, seriously. It's hard to decide which is my favorite; Spirited Away or Howl's Moving Castle…They're both so wonderful! Howl-Sophie and Chihiro-Haku have got to be the best couples ever…And yes, I will probably be going off on HMC for a long time. Just wait until I buy the book! Lol! Enjoy the extra updates and please leave reviews! They bring me great joy! Reviews make the Fan fiction author's world go round. Oh, and thank you again to all who have already reviewed! Thank you to all who are going to review, as well! Ja ne for now!

Chapter 15- Pure Love

Chihiro clutched the emerald covers around her face some time in the night, having woken up from a dream, or rather a nightmare, that she'd all too accurately predicted that would come. Lightning still continued to flash outside, albeit more calmly than before. She couldn't get back to sleep again, but she momentarily pondered both the pros and cons of that particular plight.

Rumi was sleeping soundly on the floor near her bed, calmly and peacefully breathing. Chihiro heard the rain still lightly pattering on her window, finding the sound oddly distracting. She'd enjoyed the sound when she'd been at Haku's apartment, but then again, after she'd left, the sound had been the only sound when she'd curled up in rejection to the incident with Taro. And so, here she was, trying to decide, under her fortress of emerald, whether the rain was a help or a hindrance to her healing.

Time passed into the night, the rain didn't stop, Chihiro didn't get to sleep or feel any better. Nothing changed, and Chihiro pulled herself into a seat on her bed with a sigh of defeat. Through the darkness, all of the dragons peered back at her with what she knew were emerald eyes. Some of the statues' silver scales glinted from time to time, from lightning and sometimes the moon, when it decided to show itself behind the plentiful cloud cover. She gazed at each one, recalling her obsession with the things, an obsession that she hadn't known the reason to any more than her parents.

Now she knew, though, she had her real dragon back. Haku, her river spirit. He had been there for her every hardship in her life, every one of great significance, anyway; her nearly drowning, when she found herself lost and parentless in a strange world, when she fainted the previous day on the street, and when Taro…

No, she didn't want to think about that. She didn't want to dwell on it; she didn't want it to take over, to overwhelm her. She stared again at the dragons, her eyes threatening to tear up. Suddenly the dragons on her shelf seemed so…rudimentary, they somehow seemed to be not enough. She noticed things about each, different, even subtle things, that were different from her Haku. For one thing, none had his exact legs, the birdlike ones. Some had different styles of whiskers, if any; some of the manes were even the wrong color of green. She had, however, gotten the shade of emerald right on each and every one, and knew that those emerald eyes must have been the most memorable feature of her Kohaku river, somehow they'd gotten past whatever the gateway spell had implemented to keep her memories at bay all the years.

She found herself relaxed, less tense, the more she thought about Haku, his effect on her even when she didn't know him. She shut her eyes for a moment and reread her recovered memories like a good book she hadn't read in ages, going over each one that carried Haku-with exception of the bloody one, she'd had enough blood for a while now. She saw him as his eleven or twelve-year old self again, his hair was shorter back then, she recalled. She saw him in his 'apprentice' form, the one he put on when in the bath house, she saw his tender, but still controlled side; the one he'd only ever showed to her. His stunning dragon form standing outside Zeniba's cottage, and that completely and utterly free Haku when she'd given him his true name back.

Her heart seemed to melt, as the girl of fifteen savored the memories, bringing back every emotion she'd experienced in just those short few days. It had seemed like so much longer to her ten year old self. She remembered that emotion she'd experienced, just before she crossed the barrier to the human world with her parents, when they were saying goodbye. His hand was in hers, and now that she thought on it, that hand really didn't seem completely willing to let her go without her memories. It must have taken a great amount of self-control on Haku's part to uphold the spirit world's expectation of him. His eyes even held some sadness as she recalled them, finding the memories clear as day and perfectly in tact from all the years of not being utilized. Her own, she wondered, what were her own eyes holding? She remembered some feeling, deep in her, something that was light and giddy, but at the same time sad that she had to leave, and scared that she'd never see him again. It was what she had feared most, though at the time, emotion-wise, that fear was being dominated by something else, something that had been alien to the younger version of herself.

"_Pure love," _Kamaji had said.

Chihiro lifted her head from her knees. Kamaji and Zeniba both had stated it so plainly, but she hadn't had a clue what it was back then, let alone that she was experiencing it with the spirit of the Kohaku river. She had loved him from the beginning.

All these years, she'd been desperately in love with Haku. She'd been undoubtedly dreaming about him, about his eventual return to her life, she had been waiting, just for him, the whole five years. Haku had been that void that haunted her through so many years and empty friendships.

She suddenly felt antsy again, but this time out of wanting something near her, not wanting to push something away from her mind. She wanted to be with Haku, now. She glanced nervously at Rumi, still sound asleep; at the wall, as if she could see her parents sleeping forms right through it; and then to the dragons, as if they'd give her advice.

Silently, not being able to take her aloneness any more, she got to her socked feet, and padded to the door, tending to the creaks that she'd come to memorize over the years. She stepped craftily around them, and opened her door slowly, recalling that if it were to swing open too fast, a great squeak would meet her and possibly everyone else's ears.

A couple of feet down the hallway found her in front of another closed door, one that she was unfamiliar with, that she hadn't opened enough to know it's temperaments. A quick glance and a listen to her surroundings gave Chihiro the cue to set her hand, covered by an over-large sweatshirt sleeve, on the knob. She slowly swung the door open, into the room, and thanked a few gods that it had replied with silence. The room was near pitch black, but she could make out Haku's sleeping form on the opposite side of the small room, on the guest futon on the floor. The lump that was the love of her life rose and fell gently with each quiet breath, and Chihiro invited herself in, leaving the door open only a crack behind her. She tread carefully, not wanting to upset any creaky floor boards that she didn't know of. She'd never been in this room too much, and as such didn't know the trick to sneaking around it successfully.

Finally, without too much protest from the floor, she knelt beside Haku, just taking the sight of him in. He was facing her, the blankets draped delicately around his sturdy shoulders, giving her a clear view of his face, despite the haze of darkness. As Chihiro's eyesight adjusted, she took in the details of his slumber. He hadn't shed his white Chinese shirt to go to sleep, and the graceful silver etchings seemed to gleam in whatever light reached them from the outside world. This shirt suited him well, Chihiro thought, being reminded of the silver scales of his dragon form. Next she noticed his hair, shoulder length and lying about in every which way, contrary to both its usual temperament and its owner's disposition. The ends were still perfectly straight cut, like she remembered. Dark green bangs fell gracefully into his face, also just as straight cut as the rest. His eyes were lidded, relaxed and peaceful, and even his very skin, naturally pale and clear, seemed to glow proudly. He nearly looked like porcelain to her. His sleep looked so delicate, as delicate as his porcelain face, that if she touched his cheek, it would break his slumber. As much as she wanted to see those emerald eyes, she didn't want to be rude to her love. He deserved a lot of sleep, for all he'd done for her that day.

She sank into a little seat where she was, silently making herself more comfortable. She let out a sigh, finding his face simply too stunning to take her eyes off of.

"Chihiro." His perfectly shaped lips moved, quietly forming the word, causing Chihiro to jump slightly.

"Haku?" She asked in the quietest voice she could manage, wondering whether he was awake, or if he was talking in his sleep; Though the latter would surely be uncharacteristic of him.

His gleaming eyes opened finally, and he gave her a smile.

"I sensed you coming." He explained.

"I'm sorry," Chihiro apologized sheepishly, twisting the hem of her shirt in her hands, an old habit of nervousness.

"Don't be, Chihiro," Haku propped himself up on an elbow. "Though I do wonder what's brought you here? Is everything alright?"

Chihiro paused. It was becoming quite common for her to be confused about her status; was she still devastated by Taro's death, or was everything perfect when she was with Haku? At times it seemed as though Haku could take all the hardship out of the world. When she was with him, her heart didn't feel heavy for Taro, it felt light and eager for what would come next. As good as his presence made her feel, was that disrespectful to Taro?

"Chihiro?" Haku urged. Apparently she'd been thinking a little longer than she'd intended. His eyes were full of concern, finding that hers were still slightly red from tears, and a little sunken in, likely from lack of sleep. How he wanted to bring those eyes back into their full beauty!

"I love you, Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi," Chihiro blurted with a slight tint of pink. Haku stared, actually surprised. He'd almost expected tears. "I _need_ you. I always have, since that day on the bridge. I didn't know it back then, but I have been desperately in love with you since you saved me."

Haku's eyes softened even more, adoration for her written blatantly on his face. He knew she loved him, the whole day with her had been proof of that, but hearing her say those words, that brought about a feeling that he'd never thought of mere words as being capable of bringing. No word ever spoken to him meant so much. How long he'd waited to hear those three words, from Chihiro, the girl he'd loved for years.

"And I need you now, I can't stand being away from you," Chihiro started to choke back a few tears. "You do more to heal me than anything in this world!"

Haku hurried to his knees, pulling her close as tears began to run courses down her cheeks. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders, feeling them quivering, doing their best to keep from shaking with sobs. She seemed to relax, true to her word as he pulled her against his chest.

"Chihiro…" He breathed, the name feeling like silk on his lips. "I will always love you. I'm never going to send you away again, don't worry." He began to stroke her hair again, deeply and lovingly. Her hands were grasping the back of his shirt, and her shoulders were still calming in his embrace.

He pulled away as her near-shaking calmed, lifting her chin to look into her brown doe-eyes that were still emitting silent tears. He smiled both in his eyes and his lips, assuring her in his wordless ways that he was there for her.

"I promise you, Chihiro, I'm going to stay with you. I have no intention of returning to a life without you." He whispered to her, minding the fact that it was the middle of the night and she was practically in the wrong bed. "I've loved you since I met you as well, and I didn't completely comprehend it until you left. Surrendering you to the Gateway's spell was the worst mistake of my life."

He took to kissing her forehead lightly, then moving to her cheeks, stealing the tears from their pathways down her face. The droplets left a bit of saltiness on his lips, which Chihiro tasted when he very gently took her lips, his hand meanwhile running through her thick brunette hair. He then left her lips and nuzzled her with his cheek, setting his lips now just centimeters away from her earlobe.

"I love you, Chihiro Ogino," He just barely whispered before placing a kiss there with his words and then pulling away to look at her again. She was looking better already, he noticed. Her eyes were still slightly red, but they were brightening. Her lips plied into a smile as she stared back at him. Her smile turned a little sheepish again, and her cheeks stained a little more pink as the girl looked around the room and back to him again.

"Haku, could I…stay in here the rest of the night?" She asked guiltily. Haku stared at her, contemplating; He'd be more than glad to lend her his bed and lie with her, if only to give her solace, but then there was her parents. What would they think when they found that her heart-aching daughter wasn't in her bed, what's more, in the bed of a boy who she'd only supposedly met four days previous?

"What of your parents?" Haku decided to see if Chihiro had any route around the awkward problem.

"I'll just tell them it was me," Chihiro shrugged. "They trust me, and I'm sure they trust you. Daddy was never so quick to warm up to Taro…"

Haku thought a little, nibbling his lips pensively. He didn't want to be on bad terms with her parents so soon, what's more, he didn't want to get Chihiro in trouble. This was strange to him, he never felt so nervous about being alone with her at the bath house. Then again, back then, her father was in the harmless and oblivious form of a pig.

"Alright," He finally agreed. "But you are taking the futon; I'll sleep on the floor next to you." He made his offer. If they weren't actually sharing the bed, their claims in the morning would be more founded. Chihiro smiled and hugged him, and Haku set off to the adjoining closet to get an extra pillow for himself.

He set the thing next to the bed roll, as Chihiro was settling in, albeit feeling a little guilty about shoving Haku out of the arrangement. Haku began tucking her in and sensed this guilt.

"Don't worry about me, I've slept on far worse surfaces than hardwood floors." Haku touched her cheek gently, assuring her. "I'll be fine."

Chihiro smiled tiredly, her eyes shutting as she cuddled both into the covers and as close to Haku as she could manage with still staying on the bed roll. Haku meanwhile laid himself on his side next to her, and took her hand in his when it emerged from the shelter of blankets around her. With their bids to each other for good nights, the rain took over as the dominant sound, and after a short while, Chihiro dropped into sleep. Haku however, was finding it a little harder than he had predicted to get comfortable on the wood floor. He squirmed little by little, not wanting to disconnect their hands. Finally, sleep was beginning to pursue him, but he now sensed that Chihiro was the one who was restless. Haku gazed at her discomforted face for a second, reading in it that she was having a nightmare, and he didn't have to guess what it was about. He lifted his free hand to just barely touch her forehead, as he had done when instructing her how to find Kamaji, grazing beneath her soft bangs. He shut his eyes and called to memory the spell to rid one of nightmares. Murmuring a few short words, his fingertips glowed only slightly, and her face began to ease, she became less tense as a whole. Haku took back his hand and smiled, appreciative at how his powers had somehow returned.

With his Chihiro's hand in his, his sights fixed on her teenage face, Haku drifted finally to sleep.

---

Akio woke early the next morning, for he had to go to work. Yuuko was up and about as well, bustling around their room and getting her things together for her own job. Akio watched her for a second, setting a pair of earrings into her ear lobes as she stared into the mirror at her work.

"Yuuko, you should stay home with Chihiro," Akio told her abruptly. The woman turned at these words, looking questionably at her thoughtful husband. "I have an important meeting today, otherwise I'd stay here. Someone needs to take her down to the police station today," He said, recalling the phone call that they'd received the previous night, informing them on Chihiro's appointment.

"Oh," Yuuko thought, relieved, actually. She had felt a little guilty, having to leave her daughter at such a time. But her boss would surely understand, and today wasn't that critical of a day at the office. "I'll go call my boss," she smiled and kissed Akio on the cheek, leaving to the destination of the phone.

Akio, meanwhile, decided to check up on his eldest daughter before he left. Down the long upper hallway, to her room at the end, he went, and opened the door just slightly. There Rumi was, sprawled over her bed roll, buried under a plentiful blanket. Chihiro, however wasn't in her bed. He was puzzled at this, but then thought maybe she had gone down for breakfast early…Which, now that he thought about it, was unlikely; even Rin, her four year old sister, got up and dressed earlier than that teenager. Then again, tragedies did tend to do weird things to people.

He walked down the hall again, now towards the stairs, and noticed the guest door was slightly ajar. He had a thought, Chihiro was rather attached to the boy in that room, and he had also been reluctant to leave her. But would they have shared a bed that night? He trusted his daughter greatly, and for some reason felt that her new friend was trustworthy enough to be with his daughter, but he couldn't help that little, protective voice in the back of his head.

He opened the door just a crack more, finding that there were indeed two people in the room, but, to his relief, only one on the bed roll. A mop of brown hair stuck out from the shelter of the blue comforter, obviously Chihiro. The boy Hakuno was sleeping, on solid, hardwood floor next to the bedroll, with only a pillow as a luxury.

He relaxed, knowing somehow that nothing had happened in that room that he would be angry about. That was the type of guy this Hakuno was, he supposed; he'd been nothing but polite the second he showed up the last night, he'd graciously accepted the invitation to stay in their guest room, he'd offered Chihiro comfort that had made everything with her seem right. And now, he'd given up his futon for Chihiro, who must have come in sometime in the night, Akio predicted because of nightmares. Yes, this new boy was something different from all his other teenage male counterparts. He noticed Haku-or rather, "Hakuno"- give a light shiver, having a sleeveless shirt on, after all.

He pulled himself quietly into the room, and tread to the closet, pulling out a light blanket. He returned to the side of the sleeping teenagers, and spread the blanket over the both of them. With one last look at his daughter, he left and went downstairs to rummage for breakfast.

Meanwhile, as Haku felt the material touch his bare shoulders, he woke, his eyes just barely opening. He noted the new blanket that had just touched him, spreading over both him and his love. He heard a slight creak from behind him, and turned just in time to see Akio's heel disappearing just outside the door.

The river spirit smiled to himself; He'd thought that if he were found in this position, he'd surely be reprimanded. Instead he'd been looked after, her father had given him a blanket, one he needed, noticing how cold he truly was, goose bumps still evident on his skin. Perhaps that was what it felt like to have a father, he briefly thought.

---

Haku smiled as he watched Rin, the younger version that he knew, romp and play all over some playground equipment with her friend Rumi. They'd been there for almost an hour, but the girl's amusement never seemed to run out. True to Chihiro's musings, Haku noticed that the little one was indeed a lot like Rin of the bath house. She was a fireball, to say the least; she always insisted that she do things for herself, though one such demand had resulted in a backwards shirt and a very sloppy ponytail, both of which were corrected by her older sister.

He leaned back on the bench he sat at, sighing. He yearned to see his Chihiro again; he wondered how much longer the questioning would take. She was still at the station with her mother, who was apparently the only fit escort in the place. They'd only asked him a few questions, which he quickly answered to the point, and then he'd basically been sent away, separated from Chihiro. The split group had agreed to meet here at this park, Yuuko saying they'd come straight there, and then she'd treat them all to lunch on their day off. Haku and Rumi both had gotten out of going to school, after a simple explanation of Taro's sudden death, Chihiro's appointment with the police; even Rin got the day off from daycare, as it was not necessary with her mother staying home anyway.

To his surprise, but relief, Chihiro was in a much better condition in the morning upon waking to see him near her, sitting with a hand in hers, his pillow put away and the blanket given to her. They'd stuffed the bedroll back into the large closet together as Rumi woke, and found them both in his room. She'd been a little surprised, but she took the opportunity to tease them a little with it. Chihiro had joked back, claiming that it was Rumi's alleged snoring that sent her into the next room, to which Rumi complained playfully that she didn't snore-which Chihiro confirmed to Haku later on.

"Man, playing at the park sure beats school! I kind of miss being her age" Rumi panted, as she came to sit next to Haku. Rin, whom she was indicating with her last comment, was still frolicking on her own, ecstatic to have a day from her daycare. "I can only hope that Chi is doing alright," Rumi's voice and expression changed into honest concern for her friend.

"Don't worry about Chihiro," Haku sighed with a smile, shutting his eyes to the cold that lingered from the previous day and night of cold. It was drawing very near to winter now. "She's so much stronger than many people could imagine. She's going to get through this."

"Rumi-nee, Hakuno-nii, it's raining!" Rin's voice came from the playground; she was standing under one of the plastic roofs of the gym, the plastic serving as a shelter from the rain, which was indeed starting to fall.

Rumi squealed as the downpour reached the bench, more for show for Rin, and sprinted to the younger girl, grabbing Haku and pulling him along and up the playground's steps. Though he did like the rain, he didn't object.

"Aw, I hope momma has her umbrella, or they're gonna get wet!" Rin pouted, referring to both her mother and sister. She meanwhile hugged herself to guard from the cold. They had only worn their light coats, Haku himself still in his outfit from the previous day. He pulled his hood over his head, while Rumi knelt and hugged Rin to share their warmth.

"Hakuno-nii too!" Rin cried, as Haku felt a small pull on his sleeve. He saw the little girl in Rumi's arms, a smile on her face, her small hand clutching his jacket sleeve. He gave her a smile and sat down with them, hugging both girls close. He smiled even more at the fact that Chihiro's family had warmed up so quickly to him her father apparently approving of him and trusting him enough to be alone with her, and now her sister practically adopting him as an older brother. Rain dripped off the plastic rooftop around them for only a little while before Rumi noticed the two figures approaching them, with an umbrella, to Rin's delight.

Rin ran ahead, predictably, as Rumi and Haku both got to their feet, following down the steps and keeping their hoods to their necks. Haku couldn't help but smile as Chihiro walked up, as well as she could with Rin hugging her the while. She met his gaze with a tired little smile. It had probably already been a trying day for her, he imagined, and he wanted to make the rest of the day for her pleasant.

"How are you doing?" Haku resisted the tempting urge to kiss his Chihiro on the cheek as he walked up to her, Rin scampering off to greet her mother now.

"I'm fine," Chihiro smiled honestly to him, wrapping him in a hug.

"If you're up to it, I'd like to take you out after lunch," Haku said with a deep smile that he saved specifically for her. "Your choice as to where."

Her face immediately lit up, having just been asked out on a date by her river god, in her mind anyway. She instantly thought of Aburaya, but knew she wanted more time than just a mere afternoon to devote to that trip. And, truth be told, she was a little worn down, a nice, small journey inside the city would suit just fine.

"Let's go see Aikihara-san!" She suggested excitedly, careful to be out of earshot of her mother. "I only just met her properly, and she'd probably be happy to have visitors!"

Haku blinked, having expected an immediate suggestion of the Bath house and Zeniba's, but at the same time relieved. Going to see his sister would probably relax them both, and it was more like those human traditions of dates than going to see everyone. Surely they'd all want Chihiro's attention, and he really wouldn't get any time with her alone, to get to know her even more. With his sister, he knew that Chihiro wanted to know her, but Aikihara wouldn't take all her attention off of him. It'd be more like getting to know the both of them, really. He was just fine with putting off their bathhouse visit off, if only for a few days.

"Of course." Haku beamed at her and took her hand into his, leading her after her mother, still staying under the wide brim of the umbrella.

Just then, he got an idea; he knew the perfect present to get his love for her birthday. He just had to ask Rumi when it was.


	17. A Forewoman, a Boiler Man, and an Appren

-Catgirl-of-Bavaria-: And finally, they return. –sighs happily- It's all coming together now, in the world of Microsoft world, I've got the next three chapters written, I am pretty sure they're all at least ten pages long. This one is fourteen, which could very well be my record! I am proud of myself for maintaining a pretty constant schedule for updating, which has come to be about once every week. Most of my time in between lately has been spent writing this story, reading other fics, hanging out on Youtube where I found a few very well done Spirited Away AMVs, watching Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle and attempting to pick up some rudimentary Japanese in doing so, watching Peacemaker Kurogane…Yeah, everything I've been doing of late is related directly to anime and manga, and it makes me happy. I got to get some work done on my own manga before I get roped into my next correspondence course. Ah, I think my week off has expired some days ago…-shifty eyes- my parents are gonna start bugging me any time now to get the second order form sent in. Ah well. I promise I'll find time for this story, and its sequel-yes, sequel- later on.

Chapter 16- A Forewoman, A Boiler Man, and an Apprentice

Later in the week, the sunlight greeted Chihiro through the corridor windows as she ventured out of her class room on cue of the bell. It had been a very monotonous day, aside from frequent well wishers that plagued her every moment alone, reminding her constantly of her recent loss. Rumi had done her fair share of shooing them away, then double share for comforting Chihiro every time she seemed wary. Double, that was because of Haku's absence; he had been in suspension duties with Nakamura-sensei the whole day(AKA Detention-sama—A.N. It's high time I gave her a name, a minor character though she may be. I'm just a purist sometimes…), and thus taken away from class and Chihiro.

Chihiro was grateful at the fact that she'd occasionally see him pushing a mop around the hallways, or possibly scrubbing lockers, on some of the breaks in her schedule. Though he only had time to send her a little smile, those brief moments in the hallway had gotten her through the day. Luckily tomorrow was Sunday, the weekend. How she looked forward to a day without human contact, save only for those who were closest to her heart. It had been three days since Taro's passing, and the 'condolences' from her classmates were still pouring in. Chihiro appreciated their intentions, but truly felt overwhelmed and repetitively reminded whenever someone came up to her with those same words on their lips.

Yes, Chihiro Ogino was quite ready for a day of separation from the vast majority of her own species. If she had a cat, which she truly wished she did, she'd probably hole herself up in her room with no other creature but that cat.

Off to her locker Chihiro was now journeying, ignoring the other students who had always seemed so foreign to her, so very different. She prayed to whatever god she could think of that none of them would be reminded of the tragedy that had taken her once-boyfriend, much less for them to bring it up with her. Rumi was no longer with her, today was when her detention had been scheduled, with their own homeroom teacher, Ryumi-sensei. Chihiro was on her own until she would find Haku.

It seemed she wouldn't have to look far for him, for familiar hands grasped her shoulders just gently from behind as she gained access to her own locker.

"Happy Birthday, Chihiro," He leaned in, whispering into her ear. Chihiro whirled around, a great splash of color on her cheeks.

"H-how did you know it was my birthday?" Chihiro squeaked, extremely surprised, but also ecstatic that the dragon had been so insightful. She hadn't once told him when her birthday was, nor had she considered that spirits celebrated such things.

"I asked Rumi," He smiled at her, his emerald eyes gleaming and reflecting light that Chihiro wasn't even sure reached them. "She has a surprise for you, and I also have one of my own. I wonder if I could borrow you tonight and tomorrow?"

Chihiro gazed at her love, contemplating what he was suggesting. Tomorrow, her day off. She didn't have a thing but solitude planned for that day. However, solitude would promptly be traded for a day with the river god Kohaku, in her mind. Kohaku far outweighed the prospect of solitude.

Her response to him was an eager nod, paired with a smile and a gleam in her eyes that Haku couldn't help but to melt over.

---

"Oh, my…" Chihiro gasped, the crinkled paper settling all around her kitchen table, revealing one of the most beautiful gifts she'd ever seen in her life. It gleamed with that perfect white silver, a twisting form of flight as if it were suspended far above the Earth itself, expertly carved and hand painted forest green fur playing along its back. It was so graceful, so beautiful, and had those same, perfect emerald eyes. Amazingly, the legs were even spot on.

It was that dragon, another addition to her collection, the best yet. It looked exactly like the real one that inspired her dreams in the first place. It had come from her best friend, her best friend in this world.

"Thank you so much, Rumi-chan!!" Chihiro cried, throwing herself into Rumi's arms and talking a mile a second. Rumi simply laughed as she hugged her friend back and fought to keep her balance in the assault. "It's so perfect!"

As Haku stared at the thing, he had to agree, this was remarkably the perfect recreation of his dragon form. No wonder it had called to him with that familiarity the last time he had seen it on the top shelf at the arcade. He turned his attention to the girls, Chihiro still hugging and thanking Rumi. They really had been friends for the longest while, he thought as he watched the two interact. Come to think of it, that card that gave Chihiro her name back in the spirit world, that had come from this girl, he remembered. He smiled at the thought. Rumi had actually played a part in keeping Chihiro safe in the world that was so different than this one.

Aside from the little gathering of the three friends in the kitchen, Chihiro's house was empty; her parents had gone out for the weekend, Rin with them. Which Haku couldn't exactly complain about; it gave him the perfect opportunity and time frame for his own gift to the birthday girl. It was kind of unfamiliar, as spirits didn't really have anything like birthdays, only annual festivals that celebrated Spirit Life as a whole. Yubaba herself usually hosted a grand festival for such an occasion.

"Haku's turn!" Rumi chirped as the two girls separated after a very fond thank you from Chihiro. Chihro turned to look at her river spirit, eager and questioning. Haku sent her back a smile back and took her hands in into his.

"Chihiro, how would you like to visit some old friends?" He suggested, his emerald eyes gleaming just as beautiful and thoughtfully as ever.

Chihiro immediately lit up, knowing that this was what she suspected the river god of planning, but being excited and grateful nonetheless. She loved how thoughtful he was.

"Right now?" Chihiro beamed, thinking of each of her friends all at once, her heart leaping at the thought of seeing them so very soon.

"If you are up to it," Haku smiled with his eyes. "I think if we go now, it's near sunset, but not too close. We can get across the river easily, and get to the bath house as it opens. Then I am fairly sure we can catch Rin somewhere." He laid out his plan.

"I'll go get changed!" She cried happily, bounding out the kitchen door, with her new dragon in tow, and up the stairs. She paused about halfway up, looking back down to her friends.

"Haku, would you mind if Rumi came? I think this is a good opportunity," Chihiro blushed a little, hoping he wouldn't be offended if she wanted to share her present with her friend. Rumi immediately lit up, the prospect of the other two's oath being fulfilled so soon becoming very appealing to her. Meanwhile, without any thought at all, Haku smiled again.

"Of course, Chihiro," he said in that beautiful silk voice. "This is your birthday, after all. It's your choice" He tilted his head slightly, in that cute little way that he never had before she gave him his name back.

Chihiro thought her smile would surely reach from one ear to the other as he gave her that look. She pelted the rest of the way up the stairs, and found the exact outfit she desired to wear, freshly washed and pressed and folded on her bed. She whipped the articles on, not wanting to waste any more time in the human world than she had to. She grabbed a sheet of paper from her desk, scribbled a note on it about her supposed whereabouts, just in case her parents decided to return ahead of their schedule. With the signing of her name, she tore the sheet from her notebook, and grabbed that ponytail from her desk, twining it swiftly into her hair, smiling all the while.

Rumi came back into the front door as Chihiro came down the stairs, having left her own parents a note claiming her to be at a friend's house for the weekend. Haku had told her that they'd probably be back sometime around the late morning or early afternoon the next day. Haku, meanwhile, tore his attention from young Rin's crayon and marker drawings that were posted on the refrigerator to look at the girl he loved, his breath catching somewhere in his chest, though not unpleasantly. She was wearing that outfit, the one he bought and loved on her so much. He walked over to the girls, ready himself, clad with another Chinese shirt(which, thanks to Zeniba, were in high abundance in his closet at home), this time a black satin embellished in emerald thread, paired with those black jeans he'd come to like best. Come to think of it, his and Chihiro's outfits seemed to actually match. Rumi meanwhile had clothes of contrasting scarlet and black.

"Lead the way, Chihiro," Haku said as he politely held the door open for the girls. Chihiro obliged, leading her friend Rumi out the door, closely followed by Haku.

---

Chihiro stared up at the looming building of red painted plaster, nostalgia and memories flooding her head and heart. She sighed with the wind, as it performed what seemed like a ritual, pulling her in by the ankles. She remembered how that same wind had urged at her loose white socks when she was young. She recalled the last time she'd looked down that tunnel, when she'd thrown a wish for Haku into it with the wind. That wish had come true. Haku was right there beside her.

On her other side, was Rumi, who was marveling at both the scale of the building before them and the fact that she'd never even known of its existence. Such a small town, such a small forest, and such a large structure; it had somehow never been noticed, even considering how close she lived to it.

"Whoa, your dad was right, it does look like an entrance to an abandoned theme park," Rumi gasped, stepping up to the tunnel. "This is awesome! Let's go in!"

Haku and Chihiro traded glances, both amused at Rumi's behavior. The two linked their hands and prepared to cross the threshold.

"It's getting close to sunset, let's go," Haku observed, and stepped forward, pulling an eager Chihiro behind him.

The darkness of the tunnel consumed all of them, and with it, Chihiro felt a great sensation of anticipation. It seemed like only yesterday she'd come through this tunnel, clinging to her mother like the scared little girl she had once been. Now, it was Haku she clung to, not at all scared of the other side of the passageway. Within no time at all, they found themselves in that small room that Chihiro and her family had compared to a train station once. Rumi stared around, astonished.

"It's just like you said, Chi!" She beamed, scurrying through the room, towards the doorway to the field.

"Wait up, Rumi, don't get lost!" Chihiro ran after her, this time Haku in her tow.

The trio marveled at the vast field, the field that would become an even vaster river in a matter of a half an hour, they noticed as the sky's blue turned steadily pink and purple. The lanterns were on the verge of switching on as they paced through the town's streets, turning in various alleyways that both Haku and Chihiro recalled as taking years before, Rumi following in awe of what lay around them. As they took a pause by a berry bush for food that would prevent their disappearance, Haku sensed the cafés and restaurants were about to come to life, the last glimpse of the sun was quickly disappearing behind the buildings. They finally reached the main street, the one that led up to the stairwell before the bath house, that infamous little café of plentiful food to their right side, calling to their human senses. All knew better to answer that call, as they took to the stairs while the lamps began to light.

Chihiro took each stair eagerly, her heart beating rhythmically in her chest, more than ready for what, or rather, who she'd find in the immense building just up those steps. The girl took to looking to her right, and watched as she rose above the peak of the stairs, the immense building rising into her view, watching as the lights inside began to light, one window at a time. The fountain of steaming water still poured vigorously at the front door, and smoke issued from the large flue off to the side, a sure sign that Kamaji himself was up and tending to the insatiable boiler. That same old flag waved majestically with the wind that blew lightly through it. The sun was almost completely gone, but whatever light it still gave to this area of the world seemed to come straight to the building itself, giving the structure a glow that was indeed welcoming to Chihiro. Gone was the threatening aura it had held so long ago when she was young. She now knew that she was welcome in there now, that there were friends waiting for her just inside.

"It's even greater than you described, Chi," Rumi gasped next to her, her jaw hanging open, her deep eyes scanning the entire scene, taking it in. She turned her gaze to her friend, and they both gave each other huge smiles.

Haku looked on at the building as well, not knowing how Yubaba would act when she would find out that Chihiro was back, what's more, with a human friend. Not to mention, she'd probably have a field day when she sensed that he too had become a sort of human river spirit. He grinned a little, thinking again of that comical image of a flustered Yubaba. Surely she'd think first of how he'd originally given up all his powers as a spirit to become human, she'd surely be thinking of the loss of such power she'd always relished in him when he was under her contract.

"Come on, we should get across the bridge." Haku suggested as the bath house began to show more life within its walls, the occupants therein beginning to move as sillohettes across the shoji doors.

They crossed the bridge with ease, Chihiro relieved that it hadn't turned into the fiasco that it had been five years before. True, new guests were beginning to show up on the side of the bridge they'd just left, but the bridge itself was still empty, the welcome frogs and Yunas still just inside in the mud room, preparing for their rounds of handing out welcome.

"I don't get it, Haku, why don't we have to hold our breath like Chi did last time?" Rumi whispered into Haku's ear, not noticing that she was nervously clutching his silk sleeve as they walked.

"The night is still very young. The spirits haven't begun to occupy the bridge, so there really is no need to hide you—I mean, us." Haku finished, remembering that he was in fact human. "By the time I found Chihiro behind that building, they'd already swarmed the bridge; they were everywhere so I had no choice but to hide her." Haku continued, giving her a reassuring look, feeling Chihiro's hand in his own. "Besides, I'm certain they'll recognize me, possibly even Chihiro. You really have nothing to fear, Rumi." He soothed her, feeling her slight tension ease, as well as her tight grip on his sleeve. About halfway across the bridge, Rumi finally realized what she was doing and promptly released the material in her hands.

Haku peered ahead to see the frogs begin to emerge from the mud room, lifting the draping blue tarp over their heads whilst talking to one another, about whatever such creatures usually talked about. Chihiro gasped a little as one of the creatures turned their oblong head towards the trio, his eyes widening impossibly large, his mouth slightly gaping. She saw from their closing distance that his nostrils twitched a little, that twitch being followed by a contorted frown. Another frog joined the mix, and followed almost the exact ritual. Finally, a third to follow this process, rushed out to meet them, albeit more hostile than anything, just as they stepped onto the stone of the front patio.

"What are three humans doing here?" He demanded indignantly, in a hushed voice, Chihiro figured in attempt to not let his customers across the bridge leave on account of hearing of human presence in the place. Money meant so much in this bath house, she recalled all too well.

However angry the frog was, though, he soon actually took note of a particular human's features; his dark forest hair, which was straight cut as always, that expressionless face, those intense eyes.

"Wait just a second!" He hissed, squinting and leaning towards Haku for a better look. Haku, under surveilence as he was, grinned. "You…You look just like him! You look just like Master Haku!" He cried with a slight crack in his voice, his eyes returning to their bewildered and wide open state. Haku actually gave a slight laugh.

"I knew I could count on you frogs to recognize me," Haku relished the fact that he could still instill something of fear into his former subordinates. "Won't you lead me and my companions in? We wish to visit for the night."

"You can't be him! You're a human!" the frog kept on. His eyes narrowed suspiciously now. "What business would humans want here anyway?"

"Things change in a matter of years, frog. Now lead us in. I assure you, I am not an imposter of the spirit of the Kohaku river, and neither my friends nor I mean this bath house any harm." Haku stated, trying his best to keep his patience with the worker that he normally had so short a fuse with.

The frog gazed up at him, then peered around the group, at the line of customers, starting their way across the bridge to the resort. He all of the sudden became panicked. The stench of three humans, that wouldn't be easy to hide in the few seconds he had before the spirits arrived.

"Alright, alright, just get in, before you stink up any more! Make yourself scarce, humans! I will be notifying Yubaba about you…" He grumbled hurriedly, shooing them along. Haku, noticing his plight, paused momentarily.

"I can help you with the smell, frog." He said simply, and held his hand gracefully up, his forefinger and thumb connected. The frog, and the two human girls, watched as Haku blew across the connected fingers, releasing what looked like flower petals. Chihiro knew better now, though; she recognized them as replicas of Haku's dragon scales. To the frog's relief, the smell disappeared from the area, and none too soon, as spirits began to pour around Haku and him, oblivious to human presence. Haku turned to Chihiro and Rumi, and took each of their shoulders, silver light emitting from his palms.

"There. Now we don't smell either. Does that satisfy you, frog?" Haku turned a sly grin on the other creature, who in return, gaped. This was definitely Haku, he knew now. The trio of humans then turned towards the entrance again, and the frog was left in the steady flow of guests. He welcomed a few with a smile, trying to sort out what he'd just seen. Master Haku had returned, only as a human. And with two humans in tow. One of which, now that he thought on it, looked almost familiar. Brown hair, wide, curious eyes, slightly rosy cheeks. She reminded him of…

"Sen!?" He cried in sudden realization, whirling around to the entrance, finding the humans nowhere in sight. He gaped once more, before shaking himself out of it, welcoming some more guests to keep him busy.

Haku lifted the blue flap at the door for the girls to enter undisturbed, and at the same time peered at the surroundings he hadn't seen in a fair few years. It was truly the same as ever, paper barriers forming bathing areas, each filled undoubtedly with different herb waters, suited for different spirits with their many different temperaments. Workers bustled around, preparing for new coming guests, tending to guests that had come down from the rooms for an early soak, sometimes becoming blurs of pink and blue. Luckily, Yubaba was nowhere in sight. If she'd sensed their arrival, she wasn't making it known, as of yet. Which truthfully suited Haku just fine. He'd actually prefer a visit that didn't involve his old controlling master. Chihiro and Rumi gasped at the immensity of the structure; Rumi commenting on how it looked even bigger from the inside than it did on the outside. Chihiro stared fondly at the rising steam above the paper barriers, at the bridge that led from one side of the place to the other.

Haku motioned to them, signaling that it was time to find some familiar faces. He led them down one hallway, towards the place where Chihiro recalled the foreman's station as being situated. Haku peered around the wall that now separated them from the little station, and found it empty. He glanced around, wondering where who he was seeking had gotten to. He checked the employee tags on the wall on the other side, and saw that a certain someone hadn't shown up for work yet. He grimaced slightly.

Chihiro and Rumi watched as workers poured around them, not taking much notice of the newcomers; they most likely only saw them as new spirit customers, seeing as how they'd been relieved of their human 'stench,' as they called it. Chihiro watched as Haku inspected the foreman's desk. He wore a grimace of bemusment. Of all the days to be late to work, he thought to himself.

"Ah, the radish spirit, I haven't seen you for a while!" A nearby voice caught Haku's ears, perking him up. "Please, enjoy your herb soak, sir." He saw a kimono clad woman handing a rather expensive looking bath token to a large white being with a bow. His grimace quickly turned to a smile. The radish spirit disappeared to take his bath, and the woman turned towards the foreman booth and Haku. She paused in her tracks as her deep grey eyes caught sight of the young man in front of her, the young man leaning with his shoulder length hair and curious looking outfit upon the foreman desk, a little grin on his face.

"Haku?" she murmured, a smile playing across her lips now. "Haku! Geez, I haven't seen you in forever!" She rushed up to give him a smart smack on the back. "Well don't you look as smug as ever." She mused. She squinted at him, taking in some more subtle details of his change. "You're looking a lot better than the last time, Haku. You doin' better, then?"

"I have a good many things to be feeling better about, Rin." Haku smiled back. He sensed Chihiro and Rumi just behind the station, and he moved his emerald eyes with a slight nod in their direction. Rin stared at him, wondering what he was hinting at. Just then, Chihiro just moved from behind the back wall of the station, just enough for Rin to catch her in her views. The woman turned her attention from the river spirit to the girl, hardly daring to believe what she was thinking.

"Is that…?" Rin breathed, her face paling, but her eyes growing bright and eager.

Chihiro, meanwhile, made to find Haku again, ask where they were going, but instead found someone else.

"Sen!" Rin cried, throwing herself at Chihiro before the younger girl had time to compute what was happening. Rumi just dodged them as they fell to the floor with Rin's sudden hug.

"Sen! I always knew you'd come back!" She exclaimed, ignoring the stares that her co-workers were undoubtedly giving her. "It's been five years, but it feels like forever, you dope! What took you so long!" She embraced her adopted younger sister again, not caring that her reputation was probably being dashed all to pieces with the very actions.

"Rin," Chihiro sighed, hugging her friend back. "Oh! Rin, you need to meet Rumi!" Chihiro pulled out, and motioned towards her friend, who smiled back.

"We've been best friends in the human world for ages. Rumi, this is Rin, she helped me out so much last time," Chihiro introduced the two as they rose from the hardwood floor.

Rin gave a huge smile to the girl Rumi, and threw her arms around the two.

"So, what'd you guys drop in for? No one's parents turned into pigs this time, did they?" Rin laughed, hugging the girls towards her. Chihiro laughed back and shook her head.

"So, what'd you get promoted to, Rin?" Chihiro asked then. Before she had the chance to answer the younger girl, a frog stormed up, Chihiro actually remembering him as the foreman.

"Rin! Get to work, we've got a long line out there, you better be ready!" He gave a few haughty glances at Chihiro and Rumi, then Haku. He paused for a second, then turned to wonder off somewhere else. Chihiro puzzled briefly over why he didn't get into his dais to begin his own work.

"As I was saying, Sen," Rin tugged her friends toward the foreman's desk. She released the two girls, to throw her arms in front of her dramatically, presenting the platform. "I'm the forewoman!" Her grin was broad and mischievous.

"What? Really?" Chihiro gasped, glad for her friend. "But what about the foreman?"

"Demoted." Haku put in, a small grin on his own face. "He's one of the ones who asked to leave Yubaba." Rin suppressed a laugh.

"Oy! Foreman!" Rin suddenly called to the demoted frog while he was passing by, a bucket of soiled wash rags in his three-fingered hands. He peered back at Rin, bewildered. "You want your job back?" Rin grimaced at him. The frog, meanwhile, widened his eyes, his jaw dropping slightly.

"Well, it's yours for an hour, frog!" She tossed a bath token to him, and grinned as he juggled to catch it.

"Wha-what??" He stammered in disbelief.

"I'm taking off, for an hour. I have some VIP guests here." Rin slung her arms back around her friends. "Don't do anything that'll get me in trouble, or you'll pay for it!" She turned after giving out this threat.

"C'mon, Sen, I know a certain boiler man who'll be thrilled to see ya!" Rin beamed, beackoning the three to follow.

"Wait, did you just say 'Sen"?" The foreman exclaimed, then noticing Chihiro as she turned to look at him. Chihiro smiled a little and shrugged, following Rin as Haku found her hand.

They tagged along behind Rin down a path that was familiar to both Haku and Chihiro, but new to Rumi, who gazed, awestruck, at everything she could manage to see as they walked. Other workers would pause once in a while, some recognizing Chihiro as Sen, and most recognizing Haku, all wondering what brought them there, with an apparently new human. From the ground floor, they descended in the back area of the facility to the worker's lifts, and down to the sub level where Kamaji dwelt. Rin still led the way, all the way to the sliding door.

"Ah, Rin, 'bout time I get breakfast on time. That new kid never brings it in time, I'm always starved by the time he does come!" Chihiro heard the familiar grumble of Kamaji as Rin climbed first through the door.

"Sorry, Kamaji, I don't have your food right now." Rin turned on her heels to offer her company a hand in. "I brought something else, though," She grinned toward the old man as he took a sweeping swig of his tea while continuing work with his other five arms, preparing some mixture of fragrant herbs. Rumi had crawled in just in time to see this and let out a huge gasp of wonder.

"Amazing," She murmured, just before being nudged to the side by Rin to allow Chihiro access. Kamaji turned at the new voice, finding only the second human he'd ever seen in his life.

"You brought another human? What for? I don't need help." Kamaji turned again to his work with a raspy grumble. Rin laughed, Rumi took notice of the small sootballs that she'd only ever heard about from Chihiro.

"I brought two humans, actually." Rin laughed as she pulled Chihiro in.

"Hey, Mr. Boiler Man." Chihiro smiled towards the old man as she straightened herself up. Kamaji turned instantly, his work momentarily forgotten. Before him stood an aged version of the scrawny little girl who'd begged him for a job oh so long ago. True, he noted she still was skinny, but at least filled out to look a little more healthful.

"Sen?" He spoke gruffly, his bushy mustache twitching slightly with his words, his eyes squinting to see her. "Is that really you?" Chihiro nodded.

"Remember, Kamaji? I told you her name was Chihiro." Haku put in, standing himself up.

"It's alright, I don't mind being called Sen," Chihiro smiled at Haku. She turned back to Kamaji and threw herself into a friendly hug with the six-armed spirit who had felt almost like a grandfather to her. "I missed all of you guys!" What she stated was indeed true, even if she couldn't remember what or who she was missing.

"Heh, Haku's here, too, eh?" Kamaji mused as Chihiro pulled away. "I thought you were living with Zeniba?"

"I was, Kamaji, but I took a bit of a change not too long ago. I live in the human world now." Haku smiled. Rin blanched.

"You what? How!" She demanded. Kamaji also stared at the boy. "I thought your river was destroyed, that's what you told us!"

"It was, but thanks to Zeniba, my entity is now a human." Haku sensed an explanation was imminent. So, as he noted that Chihiro and Rumi were acquainting themselves with the sootballs—who currently were on their break—he explained to both Rin and the busily working Kamaji about the whole process of his Soul Conversion, his adventure in the human world and remeeting Chihiro therein.

"Pure Love, just like I said before." Kamaji gruffly said, rolling some more ingredients into the mortar. He brushed them out and into the receptacle that took it to the baths, and tugged on a bath token above him, sending it back to whence it came. "You two were obviously supposed to be together, if all that happened."

"But your powers came back, that's amazing, right there." Rin said, her head resting in her hands. "I wouldn't think that as possible, from what you said about the spell…"

Their peace was interrupted by the sliding of the servant's door, opening to reveal a young boy, struggling with both a bowl of rice and a basket full of candies for the sootballs.

"Isao, there you are." Rin complained, her head staying in her hands lazily. "Kamaji says you've been late with the food!"

"Sorry, Rin-san, I'll be on time more often. The boy sank into a deep, apologetic bow before her, his shaggy amber hair falling all over his head. He lifted his head again, his large blue eyes staring at Rin curiously, then the human girls behind her. "Rin-san, uh, what are you doing down here, anyway? And who are they?"

Chihiro and Rumi noted the new presence and stopped talking to each other, looking at Haku for explanation. Haku, in return, shrugged; He had as much idea of who the boy was as they did.

"I myself am on a break. Not like I haven't earned one." Rin shrugged nonchalantly, now leaning back on her elbows, not minding that her violet kimono sleeves were possibly getting stained by the wood floors of the boiler room. "Those, are my friends, they are some special guests. Guys, this is Isao, my apprentice."

Haku stared at her for a second, wondering if he'd heard her right. Apprentice? He knew she had always wanted an assistant, which was of course how Chihiro had been taken under her wing, but an apprentice? He just didn't see her as the type to take such a long term commitment to teaching an underling. Isao, meanwhile, wrinkled his nose, a child habit that always showed annoyance.

"But they're humans, aren't they? I've been hearing that there are three humans in the bath house!" Isao claimed, finally handing the impatient boiler man his breakfast.

"True, they are humans, but like I said, they're my guests. That's Haku, he's actually a river spirit….uh, kinda…that's Rumi, and that's Chihiro. Better known as Sen?" Rin narrowed her eyes playfully at Chihiro's second name, watching as Isao's eyes became enormous. He had of course heard the legend of Sen, it was one of the bath house worker's favorite stories; How she'd started out working there, much to everyone's dismay, then she'd brought them money by cleansing the soul of an injured river god, then freed them from No-Face, earning all of their respect, even how she'd been the first to have ever broken a contract with Yubaba. To most of the workers, she was something of an idol.

"_You're _Sen? So you really are a human!" Isao exclaimed at Chihiro, who meanwhile stared, not knowing how to respond.

"You better believe it, dope. Now, go get started on your work, I'll catch up with you later." Rin dismissed her charge, who in return, nodded, and bowed, not only to Rin, but to Chihiro as well. Chihiro flushed, wondering to herself if she was going to have to get used to being treated like a celebrity.

"Now, you guys are guests, so I'm gonna treat you all to a bath, or whatever you wanna do. The place is yours, I'll cover ya." Rin stood proudly, her hands on her hips. "I gotta go get back to work, but I'll find you guys later. Go wherever you want, just lie low. I'm sure you don't want to see Yubaba on this visit, right?"

Haku grinned as they all piled out of the room, each giving a fond farewell to Kamaji and the sootballs. He then took to guiding them through the place, offering several different bath options they could pursue without attracting too much attention from workers or Yubaba. They had eventually decided on a hot spring soak in the outside garden terrace, which was usually not in high traffic. So, out to the correct terrace they went, wrapped in complimentary towels.

Both Chihiro and Rumi took in all of the surroundings on the terrace, a sort of forest type of feel to it. Chihiro herself never knew about this section of the bath house, and found it as being like discovering the place all over again. They filed into the garden, the steaming spring spreading before them, a perfect replica of a true hot spring in the mountains of Japan. They laid their clothes out on one of the lawn chairs provided on the patio, then turned to the spring itself, each with a self-conscious hand on their towels, keeping them in place. Chihiro peered at the pool, finding it quite empty as she set a foot into the warm pool, alongside Rumi. Haku himself settled in quickly, finding almost as much relaxation in the water as he would have received from the rain or from Aikihara. He sank in, the water grazing his chin, and let out a sigh. He'd never enjoyed the actual baths in this house when he was Yubaba's apprentice, but now, feeling how relaxed the warmth and herbs made him feel, it would have done him a great deal of good, considering the soreness and injury that his missions usually left him with. He turned a smiling face to Chihiro, who returned the favor, while Rumi dipped her entire blonde head into the water to complete the effect on herself.

"This is so cool, I haven't even been to an onsen in _our_ world!" Rumi gasped as she rose again out of the water, running her hands through her hair and peering with eyes so full of excitement to her friends. Haku and Chihiro both responded with laughter as they lay their arms on the brink behind them, allowing the bath to seemingly soak into their very souls, cleansing them off all hardship. They still had more friends to visit, but Haku truly saw no problem in taking a brief break to enjoy what the Bath house had to offer. His emerald eyes scanned the graceful area of rocks and water, finding a waterfall on the other side, and even another level that was mere feet below their own. He had to hand it to Yubaba, or whoever created this place in the first place, that it was actually quite gorgeous.

As he scanned more, his eyes caught on something, in the water, not too far from where they sat. Leaning forward in his seat, he noticed it looked like a pair of blue eyes, almost. A shadow became visible around those eyes, and Haku gave a small sound of apprehension; they apparently weren't alone in the pool as they thought.


	18. A Flirt and a Puzzle Presented

-Catgirl-of-Bavaria-: Another week, another update! As any of you who follow my notes know, I sent in my correspondence class course for economics in before Halloween, October 26, to be exact. Well, I got my results back, and I am proud to say that I got a "very good" on it, which they told me is a 96-100!! Sweet! I wonder if it counts into my total GPA, though…That'd be useful… Other stuff going on right now, well, I'm up late, and I actually do not want to go to bed; I am very sore all over, and my body will probably not want to cooperate with me tomorrow when I attempt to roll out of bed. I barely did today... Why am I sore? Well, yesterday, the idiot in me decided to walk across town to my boyfriend's house, wearing the worst conditioned pair of boots in my ownership. I was going to ride my bike but Kai(my bike's name) decided to have a flat tire. Anyway, I had to wear one of my boyfriends pairs of shoes home because my feet were in such bad walking condition, and I had to walk with most of the weight on the balls of my feet, which my legs did not appreciate.

SO, the soles of my feet paid dearly for my stupidity, as well as the rest of my body, and they are definitely letting me know it today. As a matter of fact, the pain reliever I took to shut my feet up is probably close to wearing off by now. Hoo boy. In retrospect, yes, I was extremely stupid to walk across town with such boots. However, I think this has also given me a new perspective on getting a driver's license and a car; It would probably be beneficial to have these two items in my possession, so I don't practically kill myself or my feet trying to walk across town to see my boyfriend. Those or some nice, comfy tennis shoes.

Anyway, onto more important matters: this update! Woot! Remember that twist I was talking about a few updates back? Well, keep that in mind because here's where the fun begins! I actually drop some hints in this installment, if anyone would like to guess, that'd be entertaining! In this chapter I introduce another character of my own creation, and he's probably one of my favorites. Him and Rin-chan. I actually designed him after Howl, physically and a little in the personality. Anyone who's seen HMC will probably catch on, at least to his appearance. And I did do some research on good old Wikipedia to get his name. Ooh! I forgot to mention; In the week since I last updated, I have been spending probably too much time on here, reading fanfics, most of those being Spirited Away. So, in light of that, I would like to pass on some recommendations on reading. Velf has very good work, she's got a trilogy type thing going on. I'm sure at least a few of you, my readers, have read or heard of her work, and I highly recommend it. Second, is Paths Cross, by EDS. I just found that one tonight, and read it all. Also excellent reading. I love her Haku character. Changes by Sailor Silver Moon, that one is awesome, and extremely funny, at least to me. I adore her humor, and I recommend it to anyone. I'm also really into Somber Return by Lady Solita; it's turning out pretty short but it is so awesome. A Droplet of Time by Kanon and Garden is also very, very good, I notice that it hasn't been updated in ages, but I am more than willing to wait for them to remember it and return. I give my utmost respect to all of these people as writers, and I hope that they will appreciate my writing too, if they're reading –Looks around for them- These are the stories that keep me on the edge of my seat waiting for updates, and that I am happy to pass along to my own readers as recommended reading. Anyhow, that being said, Arigatou to all who do read this story, Arigatou to all who have reviewed my story thus far, I totally appreciate it! If you're reading and haven't reviewed yet, then hurry up and review! I love seeing feedback, and I love seeing people who enjoy my work!

-huggles everyone and gives out cookies-

Chapter 17-A Flirt and a Puzzle Presented

"Haku?" Chihiro turned to her dragon as she heard the small sound emit him, the sound seeming to express some sort of discovery, not necessarily a good one, either. She gazed at him, seeing him focused on a point in front of him, his eyes as intense as ever, his muscles appearing tense under the pale skin of his arms.

Rumi also noticed the boy's change in demeanor, and took to mimicking Chihiro in her observations.

"Haku, what's up?" Rumi whispered, cautious not to possibly startle him.

Haku glanced quickly at them, and back to the eyes he'd spotted, afraid to leave them out of his sight for too long. They hadn't moved, but Haku couldn't help this feeling of being protective of his new found friends. If whoever, or whatever, owned those eyes meant any harm to either Chihiro or Rumi, he'd not hesitate to tear it to shreds. They were in the spirit world now, after all, there were far more dangerous and hostile creatures here than in Japan, especially towards humans, of all things. Rumi and Chihiro both followed his eye line to his point of interest, finding the same shadow, the same eyes.

"Oh, come now, Kohaku, no need to be hostile towards a fellow water being, eh?" A voice seemed to float to them, bodiless and misty. And if Haku didn't know any better himself, a tad flamboyant on top of everything. Haku's eyes widened for a second, before the shadow moved, melting up out of the water, Just as he and Chihiro witnessed Aikihara of doing back in the human world. Its body turned from the water to a tangible, human-like shape, a man, complete, thankfully, with a towel of his own. He appeared older then the three, about his early twenties, Chihiro guessed, or at least the spiritual equivalent of such. His wet hair fell all down his chest, a gleaming black color, with shaggy black bangs that obscured his eyes, which appeared to be a brilliant blue color. Contrary to Haku, he was quite beautifully tanned, but like Haku, he had a stunning and perfectly sculpted face. On that face, he wore a little grin, as if he had known them forever, and was merely dropping in for a friendly hello.

"Do I know you?" Haku asked curiously, seriously not knowing if he had ever met him.

"Nah, but you and I are alike. I'm a river god as well!" He stated proudly, jutting out his tan chest with his hands on his hips. "Though you travel in odd company, for a river spirit…" He added, peering through those thick bangs at the human girls, who in return stared at him without abandon. "Even you, though. You've got an odd aura about you, Kohaku. You're part human." His eyes narrowed in interest, his head tilted to the side and voice hushed to a gentle and curious purr.

Haku merely stared at him. How did this man know so much about him, though they'd never even met? The man before them set a hand to his chest and gave them a winning smile.

"Allow me, I am Tenryu Nushi, the spirit of the Tenryu River," He said, sinking into a bow. The girls returned the favor, but Haku still stared at the man.

"How odd, this seems to be a recurring theme for me tonight…" the man said, coming to a seat on a submerged rock in the pool, talking more to himself than anything.

"What are you talking about?" Haku asked in a mutter, confused even more with the other river spirit's actions.

"Hmm? Oh," The man opened one of his comfortably lidded eyes as he was leaning back in relaxation. "It's just, the spell you got on you, Kohaku. I know what it is. It ain't the first time I've discussed it tonight, either." He tried, unsuccessfully, to blow one of the dampened sections of bangs out of his face.

Haku's eyes narrowed and he directed more of his gaze towards Tenryu. He couldn't mean the Soul Conversion that Zeniba had used on him?

"You got your soul converted. That's why your aura is so odd. It's powerful magic, I'll tell you that. Not many spirits can do it." Tenryu explained nonchalantly to the sky high above. He then lifted his head to look at Haku, his gorgeous blue eyes gleaming. With a hushed voice, he added on. "Even fewer consider even trying it."

"What do you know about Soul Conversion?" Haku replied, actually becoming hooked by the mysterious enigma before him. "Have…Have you done it before?"

"Me? Gods no. I'm just a river spirit. I spend my time in the human world; _my_ river hasn't been destroyed, just dammed up in places." Somehow this man had turned to bragging. If Haku hadn't been so keen on figuring out what he knew, he probably would have turned away or just ignored him. Instead he pressed on.

"Then how do you know about it?" Haku asked simply, leaning his elbows onto his knees in front of him. Rumi and Chihiro meanwhile, could only watch and listen as the two river spirits talked on a subject they knew virtually nothing about.

"I'm not completely stupid to the world of spirit magic, Kohaku, I just don't choose to practice it." The man across from them responded, his eyes shut and pointed towards the twinkling stars above once more. "But I did tell this one kid about it earlier in the evening, he seemed pretty interested in it. That's why it's a recurring theme." He explained his odd narration.

"Really." Haku said, almost uninterested. He apparently didn't know that much then; just a spirit who happened to have a conversation earlier about the very spell that set him free.

Though as he dismissed it, Haku felt something inside of him, something that refused to let the subject go. This felt more connected to him than it seemed. Besides, he realized with a feeling of dryness in his throat, Zeniba had told him it was a rare spell; was it really that probable for the odds to end up as such?

"Humans as well, that's a recurring theme." Tenryu suddenly interrupted Haku's thoughts, bringing what he saw as another spin to things to the mix.

"What do you mean?" This time Rumi was enquiring, obviously not liking being out of the loop.

Tenryu stared at the human girl with her new found courage to speak up, almost questioning if he was above answering to a human; he hadn't had much experience with the creatures, save for what went on at his river, which was supplemented by both good and bad experiences. With a gaping yawn, he pulled himself out of his lounge to get a better look at the girl. Not all that bad looking, for a human, he thought. The brunette next to her as well.

"Well, sweetie, this guy earlier, said he wanted to get back to the human world, for something…" He looked off, puzzled, as if he'd misplaced that certain part of the conversation. "Maybe it was to find a pretty girl he'd left behind, like you or maybe your friend here," He said, a playboy's grin spreading across his face.

Rumi blushed, emarassed, Chihiro tensed, and Haku nearly twitched. Who did he think he was, talking to Rumi and _especially_ Chihiro like that? He had half a mind to smack this man upside the head like he did so with Manoro and drag both girls away from him.

"Stay on topic, what happened?" Haku growled, determined to keep his cool until this nagging in him was satisfied with the man's answers. Tenryu's smile faltered a bit, but he shrugged and continued anyway.

"Well, I told him there was a way, the soul conversion spell. He asked me if I could do it, but as I said before, I don't practice." He slung one leg over the other lazily beneath the hazy water. "I told him he'd need one Hell of a spirit to cast that type of spell. We talked some more, but a little while after that, he left." He shrugged the last of his explanation off.

"So, he was a human, but he's a spirit now?" Chihiro asked curiously.

"Yep, said some sort of accident took him from the human world, he said, not too long ago, and he wanted to go back real bad…Heh, musta been one heck of a girl!" He explained lazily. Meanwhile a few words passed through Haku's mind;

"…_He wanted dearly to go back. All he remembers of his life in the human world now is that it was cut short by tragedy."_

Haku mentally shook himself. Why in either realm was that coming to his mind right now?

Meanwhile, Chihiro and Rumi were puzzling something in their mind as well. Something was nagging them about this man too, though they could say what it was as much as Haku could. But an accident, not too long ago, taking the life of a human…This was beginning to sound familiar, to all three of them.

Chihiro suddenly stood, her hands clutching the towel at the crest of her chest, though it was quite firmly equipped to her without assistance.

"What did he look like?" She asked simply. Rumi got where Chihiro was heading in this inquiry and stared expectantly at the man. Haku meanwhile stared up at Chihiro, knowing as well as Rumi what his love was trying to figure out. The other river god, however, looked less aware, unsurprisingly.

"Geez, you guys are really that interested eh?" He laughed as he stood and came to a few feet in front of Chihiro, causing her cheeks to betray her with color at the sight of his broad, tanned chest. How she hoped Haku couldn't see her face from this angle. If she wasn't so keen on this particular answer, she would have backed away, the closer he came. Instead, she held her ground, only hoping that he'd answer without trying to flirt with her again.

"Well, let's see, he was about this tall," he indicated a height that was just shorter then he, a foot above Chihiro's own head. "Black hair, dark eyes…"

For Chihiro, all had ceased at that moment. She saw the man's lips keep moving, but heard no sound. She hadn't even noticed that she'd blanked out.

"Chihiro!" Haku's voice penetrated her hazy mind, and she finally came back, finding herself in someone's arms. Someone's tanned, rugged arms. These unfamiliar arms were cradling her to a chest that was just as unfamiliar, just above the water's surface. She observed that she was no longer standing, her legs were limp in the water. She caught sight of those arms again, and her eyes widened to twice their normal size. She looked up to find brilliant blue eyes, staring at her, just as wide and surprised.

"Hey, cutie, you should watch it in these springs, they can make you dizzy sometimes." Tenryu replied mischievously, that playboy smile on his lips again.

"Chihiro," Haku's hands wrapped around her now, bringing her to his body and away from the other river spirit. Unknown to Chihiro, Haku was currently throwing the other man a look of emerald warning. "Chihiro, are you alright?" He lifted her chin to look at him. He sat her down again, with additional help from Rumi. Her brown eyes were still wide; they almost looked wild, even on the verge of tears.

"Are you sure that's what he looked like?" Rumi stood up to the other man, her own eyes narrowed now. "Did he…did he tell you his name?" She asked further, in a hushed voice. The river spirit stared at the blonde.

"Yeah, that's what he looked like, but no, I didn't get his name." He scratched the back of his head nervously, as though wondering what the humans were getting at.

"It was him…" Chihiro murmured. "It had to be!" She buried her face in her hands, not knowing whether to cry with joy or with fear or sadness, or maybe all three.

Haku stared down at his beloved, his hands still gently placed on her bare shoulders, knowing just as well as Rumi who Chihiro was talking about. So he had been here earlier then, and he'd been looking for the soul conversion spell to take him back to the human world. He couldn't use the assistance of this flirtatious river spirit, he'd have to find someone more powerful, more practiced and experienced. There was one person in this part of the Spirit world that stood out to Haku as an extremely powerful spirit, and he didn't want to dare believe that the former human of their discussion had gone to her.

"What did you two talk about after the Soul Conversion?" Haku demanded of the other man, suddenly determined and focused on what the nagging inside of him was prodding at.

"Huh, well, he asked about this bath house, apparently he caught on that a powerful spirit had to have dominion over it. He asked me who ran the place…I guess, now that I think on it, the kid was just looking for some powerful spirit to do the spell." Tenryu actually looked thoughtful for once.

"And he went…to see her…" Haku finished the story, looking a little grim. How would Yubaba have reacted? Surely she wouldn't help him out, unless he had something very valuable to offer her…

"Haku, we have to go find him! What if he ends up like Kaonashi!" Chihiro cried from her seat, recalling what Haku had passed on to her about the Soul Conversion spell, Zeniba's explanation of Kaonashi's clouded past. She couldn't let Taro be hurt again, not if there was some small chance she could help him. And in this world, she felt as if anything was possible.

"Alright, Chihiro, we'll go see Yubaba." Haku assured her softly, turning his attention from the other river god, focusing on keeping Chihiro calm. "Let's get dressed first, though…" He suggested, looking down at his lonely drenched towel.

"Wait, if he went through with it, wouldn't he lose his memory, like Haku did?" Rumi asked the spirits quizzically. "What good would coming back to our world do if he couldn't remember anything?"

Haku turned to Tenryu, giving him a prodding look. He had told Taro about the catches of the spell, hadn't he? Tenryu in response stared back with wide sky colored eyes.

"Well, that's where this particular spell gets a little messy; Since he was already a human, and not even that long ago to boot, his memories would still be in tact." Tenryu recited, as if he'd written the book on this spell. "Kohaku's memories were lost because his original entity was a river, not a human. In your friend's case, the spell is more of a spell of renewal than a conversion." Rumi responded after a brief moment with a sigh.

"Any other loopholes we should know about?" Rumi grumbled sarcastically, running her hand through her blonde, still-soaked hair and exchanging skeptical glances with Chihiro and Haku. "How can we believe you, anyway? Why do you know so much about this if you don't even perform magic?" She narrowed her eyes towards him, her hands set on her hips. Tenryu put his hands in the air in 'don't blame me' type of gesture, his bright eyes directed straight into her dark ones.

"I have no reason to lie to you, nor do I have a reason to lie to someone of kin." He gave a passing glance to Haku. "I am merely offering advice on the subject, a subject I know much about only because I used to be something of an emissary to the worlds; one who manages the traffic between worlds. You can see how I might just know about this particular spell."

"'Used to be?'" Chihiro asked meekly, from her seat in the water.

"Yes, unfortunately I wasn't strict enough on people who performed the spell. I'm not the type to do such things like discipline harmless people or moderate traffic of worlds." He lifted a section of his bangs lazily, exposing the largest portion of his face that had been seen thus far in the conversation. "Fate chose me, my inherent carelessness released me," He laughed as if it were nothing. "I honestly see no problem with the Soul Conversion spell, if it's performed rationally, but my superiors see it as far too dangerous to keeping the secrecy of this world as well as the whole risk of lost souls. I was released for that reason about a century ago, now I do as I please. And actually, I do know some magic, but only what I learned and used when I was still an emissary."

Haku looked down into the water that was slightly murky from its herb ratios, weighing what had been said. It made complete sense, this spell in particular was rather testy, if it were performed all the time, there'd be far too much traffic going on between the two worlds, possibly too many souls being lost. Hence, why he'd never known of such a rare spell before Zeniba'd come across it in her studies, he figured. This spirit was apparently offering an option to a young man who was desperate; offering advice of what he knew could help him. But this also made him worry, what if what Zeniba had done was considered illegal?

Tenryu's answer was apparently good enough for Rumi at this point, for she lifted herself from the water and gave a hand to Chihiro, who still was admittedly a bit dizzy from her faint. They both gave a quick bow and thanks for the explanation and grabbed their outfits and hurried to the nearby changing booths. Haku was about to exit the water himself, when he found a hand placing itself on his shoulder. Turning he found the shaggily framed face of Tenryu, his blue eyes gleaming, and to Haku's surprise, with more aquamarine determination than anything.

"So, I'm correct in assuming you know this guy?" He enquired quietly.

"Yes, he was our friend in the human world, he was killed in an accident the other day, saving Chihiro." Haku responded. Tenryu looked pensive again, Haku thinking to himself that it was rather uncharacteristic of him.

"He said something about wanting to make it up to someone. He had regrets about his life recently, said he wanted to make amends." Tenryu said in a hushed and oddly solemn voice.

Haku stared at him. Taro had said that, did he? He'd given his life for Chihiro, and even now, he felt it wasn't enough. Haku looked down, nearly ashamed. He'd obviously misjudged Taro's full potential of character.

"_He wanted dearly to go back."_

Those words haunted him again, though he couldn't completely comprehend why. Kaonashi kept flashing through his mind, as well, but he wrote that as being a warning of what could possibly happen if they didn't find Taro in time.

"This Kaonashi guy, what happened to him?" Tenryu suddenly asked, interested again in their story.

"He was a victim of a soul conversion gone wrong, around five or six years ago," Haku explained briefly, stepping out of the water and onto the patio. "It's strange, his story sounds similar to Taro's, now that I think on it…His human life was cut short by tragedy as well…" Haku stared off a little vaguely. Tenryu's sky blue gaze faltered a bit, though this went unobserved by the younger spirit.

"Five years ago, eh?" Tenryu was still pensive, and it was actually starting to scare Haku. The river god turned human started for the lawn chair that held his neatly folded clothes, preparing to enter the changing booth as soon as the girls were ready. He ultimately decided to put his shirt on at the moment, to save time in the booth.

"That's weird; there hasn't been a single Soul Conversion in a few centuries, aside from yours." Tenryu's voice came to Haku as he pulled himself through the sleeves of his shirt, making him pause.

"What are you talking about?" Haku threw the older spirit a tepid look.

"I'm telling you, there hasn't been a casting of that spell in ages, apart from yours. It happened September twenty-fifth, by the human calendar, am I correct?" Tenryu climbed the little stairway out of the spring, coming to level with Haku, convinced in his knowledge. "I am quite versed in magic and its occurences, Kohaku, I know what I'm talking about."

Haku merely stared, not knowing what to say. His spell had of course happened on the twenty-fifth, but how in the spirit realm or on Earth would he have known that? Well, being a former emissary must have something to do with it. But if what he was saying was true, then how would that explain Kaonashi? Haku was quite sure of Zeniba and Kaonashi's claims that he was a lost soul, a victim of the spell, but Zeniba had also said that Kaonashi's misplaced soul had materialized only shortly before Chihiro had shown up in the spirit world. Unless the spell could transcend time itself, then one of these stories was false.

"Haku, your turn!" Rumi called him with a jolt out of his thoughts, as she hurried towards the two river spirits, alongside Chihiro. Haku still felt a little out of it, but shook himself of the feeling. A look back at Tenryu displayed that the elder still had that spurring look on his face, his blue eyes blazing and boring a hole into his jade ones. Turning back a split moment later, he noticed that the two girls' hair was still dripping, so he laid a hand gently on each of their heads. Silver light emitted them briefly, and the wet texture on his fingers became silky and soft, and most importantly, dry.

"Thank you, I'll be right out," Haku said kindly to the both of them and turned in his mismatched outfit of a towel and silk shirt to the booth, hurrying as to not waste any more time. Trying to shake those blue eyes, trying to shake the odd, sinking feeling that this whole situation brought to the pit of his stomach.

He emerged only seconds later, perfect black jeans equipped and with dry hair. He herded the girls as he pulled on his boots, giving a sideways glance to Tenryu, who watched him back in return. He grimaced at the fact that this enigma had only brought more mystery to this whole predicament. He wondered if what he had said about there not being a conversion spell in a couple of centuries was true. That only led him, with great frustration on his part, to the question of Kaonashi's true identity, Zeniba's story. This was not making any sense; even if it was a good question, what did it have to do with Taro? He followed Chihiro and Rumi back into the bath house, but paused, hand on the door jamb, turning to face Tenryu. The man gave him back a smile.

"Tenryu, is it possible…" Haku began, not being able to contain his curiosity any more. "Is it possible for a lost soul to land in another time if the spell fails?"

Tenryu merely grinned knowingly.

"Perhaps, Kohaku. Just keep in mind, not one Soul Conversion spell, successful or not, has occurred in centuries, aside from yours." He replied, almost cryptically.

Haku gave him a blank stare, one of his fortes. This guy had gone from forgetful and borderline perverted to aware and secretive. This vague inkling was still pulling at him, wondering how it was even possible that it would happen. Haku still had to thank Tenryu, though, he had after all provided useful information to them about Taro's whereabouts.

"Until next time, then." Haku gave a brisk bow and quickly went to catch up with the girls. Behind him, the river god of the Tenryu River melted gracefully into the water again, returning to his bathing venture that had already been interrupted twice that evening.

He smiled to himself, as best he could, being one with the water, reflecting on the most recent meeting. He was suddenly excited and above all else pleased he'd decided to leave his river in Japan for a vacation at the famous bath house resort Aburaya;

It was going to be a long night, and the fun had only just begun.


	19. A Puzzle is Solved

-Catgirl-of-Bavaria- : Ah, it's been two weeks, hasn't it? Hah, Gomen, I have no one to blame but myself, and that power outage we had yesterday. I was going to do this yesterday morning, but I left this chapter open in word, and the power went out, and I lost a lot of what I did on it. I think, though, it turned out alright. Besides that, I've gotten myself started on so many fics that I was kind of transferring back and forth between them all, and always missing updating this one. I have officially begun work on my sequel to this story, which is happy, I'm really looking forward to writing it. The next chapter is close to done on Outside Looking In, so that will be up soon. Little Miss Perfect though, I'm being a little more slow on; I am really trying to get the Yuki/Machi relationship down right, so it's taking some time with contemplation and such. It hasn't been in the manga too much, as of now in the States, so I'm kind of going on what I get from the internet in that area. I also created a profile on here, after finding that my profile was getting two hundred hits, even when it didn't exist…I didn't think I was so popular… .:tear:. So, yeah, now it has stuff in there, and isn't just a big white screen, if anyone still cares, lol. You people are so good to me, Arigatou! .:bows:.

Anyhow, a little about this chapter; I originally was going to have Boh still be as he is in the movie, but I found something in my Wikipedia journeying that I liked. _(I don't have any clue on if this is actual reasoning used by Miyazaki-sensei or not, but I just liked the idea, and it seems logical. So, I used it. Just a little disclaimer there. This idea belongs to whoever wrote the Wikipedia article I was reading, not myself, I just adopted it for this story. )_ It basically says that Boh is an infant and oversized possibly because of how much his mother spoils him. All his life, he has stayed in that one room, with all of his toys, and never really allowed himself to develop, because that was all he knew, and all Yubaba ever exposed him to. So, since I myself believe that in their world, the spirit is the essence of life, that reflected on Boh's physical form, thus, he was still an infant, probably even after a long spirit life. When Chihiro comes, though, and takes him out into the world, that starts him thinking and developing, and moving past his infant-like ways, learning more about the world, growing up. And there you have my reasoning for aging Boh, just a little bit. And on another topic, you'll notice I am now using "Kaonashi" instead of "No-Face". No particular reason for this other than I am a Japanese junkie and decided to switch. I don't think it'll be too much of a problem, ne? I wonder if anyone is catching my twist yet… Read and review, people! I love all who do so!

Before I scamper off and leave you with this overdue update, a few more titles that I forgot last time( gomen to the authors, I am so sorry I forgot you on the last one! .:bows repeatedly:.) Purple Mist by Lin13 is awesome, it was one of my first favorites, along with Changes. Very exciting, well written work with the characters wonderfully spot on. One Summer by Sprite Zero is brilliant, in my opinion, she'd only got 3 chapters on it, but I am addicted to it…and I hope she updates soon! Quick summary; Haku comes to the human world after 7 years, Chihiro doesn't remember anything, and he ends up being her friend and co-worker. They visit what's left of his river, and things go a little awry from there. It's good stuff, I recommend it to everyone! Rawr! Through the Looking Glass by amichan2 Is also very well done, I have said before that she writes a better amnesiac Haku than I do! Basically, Chi doesn't remember; Haku is found in the human world, unconscious and without knowing who he is or where he came from, and ends up going to Chihiro's school, and finds that he is fascinated by Chihiro for some reason. In short, if you like my story, you will love hers! Lol just don't completely abandon me? ;)

Chapter 18- A Puzzle is Solved

Haku walked quickly, not making any stops along the way to the lift, no matter how many workers greeted him, no matter how many of them squealed at the sight of 'Sen'. They had no time to lose, They had to get to Yubaba before Taro got into something dangerous. He wasn't walking his full speed, though, as he noted that the girls following him were having to jog occasionally to keep up as it was.

"Haku! Where you going!" Rin called after him as they just reached the lift, Haku pushing the button and impatiently waiting for the lift to take it's time in puttering lazily down to him. He turned, finding Rin's form rushing up to them, an expression of confusion on her face, knowing that this lift, along with only one other, would take them to Yubaba's level. Isao followed closely, scampering at times to keep up with his master, the usual scowl on his face.

"Something's come up, Rin," Haku put simply. Isao stared up at him, in that quizzical type of way only young children could manage. "We must go see Yubaba."

"What? You can't be serious!" Rin exclaimed, her eyes going wide and wild. Meanwhile, the lift finally greeted them with a cheerful ring, and Haku piled the girls inside while Rin stared at him huffily.

"Trust me, Rin, this is important. I will explain everything later, but now," He stepped into the little elevator, and pulled the golden lever. "We must go." He finished, not giving her a chance to object, his timing calculated perfectly as the doors slid shut in front of him. He could swear that he heard the sound of Rin banging on the doors they'd left below them.

"Ooh, she hates being left in the dark, I can tell." Rumi observed in a cooing voice, receiving a nod from Chihiro. "She may just murder you, Haku," She made an effort to shed light on the situation. Haku grinned, but he couldn't find the time to pay her joke the proper laughter. Things from their conversation with Tenryu were still weighing on his mind.

The lift finally reached its peak, about five or so floors up, the level with the bridge. That left above only the guest rooms and Yubaba's personal dwelling above. He strode quickly across the bridge, to the next lift in the sequence to get to Yubaba, Chihiro clutching to his hand, Rumi following along closely, but still paying avid attention to the magnificent surroundings. The thing puttered almost as lazily as the last one, earning another bout of impatience from Haku. He never did have much patience for this absurd place. Finally, though, after another quiet lift ride, they found themselves there, in Yubaba's front hallway.

Haku strode stiffly up to the first doorway, the one that held that hideous knocker; all three of their footsteps echoing off the tacky walls. He did indeed sense Taro's aura here, which did little to comfort him

"Yubaba," Haku firmly called through the knocker, and stood for a response. None came. This didn't settle Haku's feeling, a sensation that made him think that his stomach was hovering inside his torso. "Yubaba, answer me," He spoke a little louder, a little colder this time, but still received no answer. He gave a glance to Chihiro, then Rumi. He then gave a slight sigh, and began rolling up his sleeves as he stepped back.

"Chihiro, Rumi, stand back." He commanded them much more gently than he did the knocker. They obliged, and Haku shut his eyes, his figure straight and rigid, palms held out in front of him. He called his power to him, focusing it on his purpose, a trick he'd long ago learned from Yubaba herself. He built it up, recalling how many unnecessary doors that the old witch had just after this one. His hair began to play in some non-existant breeze, and those silver tendrils began to swirl around him again.

His eyes snapped open, and silver expanded forward with a small explosion from his outstretched palms, blasting first through the great door before them, then continuing with just as much zeal through the next several doors, nearly knocking them off their hinges, nearly splintering each and every one, no matter how thick the ridiculous things were. Rumi applauded him from the side, thouroughly impressed with his skill. He grinned back, and peered to Chihiro, finding her face full of determination. She grabbed his hand and led him down the hall at a run, through the rubble of the many doors. Rumi, meanwhile, was actually staring straight ahead, a first since they'd come to the bath house; apparently she found the surroundings in Yubaba's level just as off-setting as anyone else who'd actually seen it.

They made it without conflict to Yubaba's office, but found it empty. It was just as decorated, just as cluttered as Chihiro remembered, as she noticed the desk scattered with paper and random trinkets of varying sizes. She even realized now, why the original color of her own room back home offset her; this shade of nearly gaudy ruby was a fair match to the hue that was her room before it became emerald. The fire blazed merrily behind them, as if everything was right in the world. Chihiro stared nervously around the whole room. Where was Taro? Where was Yubaba?

"That damned witch…" Haku muttered. "She couldn't have possibly agreed to perform the spell, she's too greedy. It would have cost Taro a fortune…" He stared towards her desk, and began to rummage through loose papers. His fingers grazed over the desk as he made a realization. "Unless he signed some sort of contract…" He straightened up with his grim analysis.

"You don't think he would, do you?" Rumi asked honestly, looking up from the fire.

"I don't know…If he was desperate, he may have." Haku's emerald eyes narrowed, peering around the lifeless room, trying to concoct their next plan of action. Before he had much of any idea, though, a booming vibration came through the floor, then another. It felt like a giant were walking their way…

"Sen?" a small and innocent voice came from the crimson curtain by Yubaba's desk. Haku moved from his post between said curtain and the desk, allowing entrance to the biggest baby, or rather, toddler, that any of them had ever seen in their lives. "Oh, wow, is that you, Sen?" His still chubby face lit up like a candle at the sight of the brunette girl standing in front of the desk.

"Boh!" Chihiro smiled up at the enormous child, glad to see a familiar face. Though that face had changed only slightly; Haku had been right, Boh was growing up. He now had a batch of light brown hair on his head, his body still oversized, like his mother's, but more of a toddler than an infant. His attire had also changed from the traditional red baby outfit to that of a blue yukata, elegant and silky and tailored to his chubby form. Before she had time to ask him as to where his mother wondered off to, she was engulfed in the biggest bear hug imaginable.

"I missed you so much Sen!" Boh exclaimed excitedly, as Chihiro was sure she heard a few pops emit from her back in the massive hug. He finally released her, after what seemed like a painful eternity, if only to her back, and let her recuperate. She stretched her back like a cat would do, as Haku came to her side, giving her a look as if to ask if she was alright. She smiled certainly at her love and turned back to Boh.

"Haku came back too!" Boh observed cheerfully, "You brought Sen back didn't you, Haku? Auntie Zeniba said you would!" He clapped his great hands together with excitement.

"Boh, do you know where your mama is? Has anyone come to see her lately?" Chihiro asked her young friend intently.

"Mama was talking to someone earlier, he wanted her to do a spell on him," Boh answered in his sweet little toddler's voice. Rumi, Chihiro and Haku exchanged somewhat pained glances.

"What did she say, do you remember?" Chihiro asked kindly, trying to hide her anxiety from the child spirit.

"Mama wanted to know what he would do for her if she did do the spell, and I think he told her that he'd work for her." Boh sucked on his finger, a habit of all children his age, as he thought.

"He signed a contract?" Haku suggested to the boy. Boh thought, then nodded.

"Yeah, he wrote something on a paper, and then Mama said yes," His small eyes blinked as he scanned the three of them. "Who are you? Are you Sen's friend?" he asked Rumi curiously, unaware of the tension that was currently sweeping through all three of them. Rumi merely nodded with a light smile.

"Boh, where is your mother now, do you know?" Haku asked the child, as he began rummaging through Yubaba's papers again, obviously searching for Taro's contract.

"Yeah, I think she's on the roof. She went up there with the boy, I think they're gonna do the spell." Boh answered with childlike honesty. "Hey Sen, you wanna play? I got lots of toys in my room!" he suddenly lit up.

"I'm so sorry, Boh,now's not a good time, I've gotta find your mama," Chihiro bowed apologetically, trying to keep her nerves under control. So, Taro had indeed got Yubaba to go along with it, their first fear.

"Ooh, lemme come, Sen, I wanna have some fun!" Boh suggested, as he began to transform himself into the chubby little lavender mouse. Yu-bird, who Chihiro noticed was on his wide shoulder the whole time, became proportionate to the boy as he became smaller. Once the transformation was complete, the small bird grasped Boh by the scruff of the neck and air-lifted him onto their usual position on Chihiro's shoulder. Boh gave her a small 'chu' in greeting, then turned towards Haku, who was obviously the leader in all the commotion.

True to his post, Haku motioned all of them to follow after him, leading them hastily down the darker hallways he knew too well, eventually to the door that led to the roof. There was another level to the roof, a staircase lay next to the door, engraved into the arching green shingled roof, and with a quick glance around the first level, Haku led them up. Out of nowhere, a giant flash of lightning forked down from the sky that had earlier been clear, sending a jolt of panic through Haku's system. Boh had cowered from the sudden flash, hiding underneath Chihiro's free-flying hair.

"Dammit," Haku muttered as he pelted up the rest of the stairs, knowing that the lightning was a part of the process.

The wind around them increased drastically, nearly knocking Rumi off her path up the steps. Chihiro noticed Boh's slightly quivering form, and cupped a hand around the two small creatures on her shoulder, protecting them from the wind. Haku's curse just then, however, did not keep her from shivering herself. She followed after him, reaching the top, finding it hard to keep balance for all the wind swirling around. Haku had frozen just ahead of her, transfixed on the column of wind and rain before them. Chihiro and Rumi themselves became transfixed, even horrified, they saw a figure through the rain and blue light of the column, a figure that they knew without question.

"We're…too late…" Haku murmured, watching the process. He noticed Yubaba off to the left of them, book open, chanting things similar to Zeniba's incantation. He watched, only being able to hope that nothing went wrong. They couldn't intervene now, it would most likely throw off the spell, and then the fate of Taro's soul would be on their hands.

"Haku, is everything happening like it should?" Chihiro asked him, a little panicky. He turned a smile to her, though it was a weak one.

"Yes, Chihiro, everything seems to be fine…" He whispered to her, hoping this would hold true.

Kaonashi was flashing again through his mind, and he didn't want to know what kind of omen that would be. He stared up at Taro's figure behind the torrents of wind and rain, and wrapped an arm around Chihiro's waist bringing her form closer to him, while Rumi claimed his other side, all of them huddled close to protect from the cold and fortify one another from the wind. Now was about the time when it happened, he remembered, the time the dragon flew out of him. If this was going to happen, it was going to happen now.

Something happened then, however, that Haku was sure wasn't supposed to happen. Lightning forked down again, flashing viciously into the marked triangles on the roof, in a shade of bright green this time, which, in the color itself wasn't natural. The column of blue then turned green as more lightning assaulted the bath house roof, and the form seemed to begin to collapse on itself, growing thinner and thinner in diameter around Taro.

"Haku!" Chihiro cried, knowing full well that this was not a good thing.

"Haku, what's happening to him?" Rumi cried now, as Taro himself began to become as green and glowing as the lightning around him.

"Something went wrong…It's happening, his soul…" Haku couldn't bring himself to say it.

Their eyes widened in terror as the green of Taro faded to an inky black color, as he twisted and emitted cries that Chihiro was certain she'd be far better off never hearing at all. Haku hugged her close as she covered her ears and shut her eyes from the sight, knowing he didn't want to know how badly this would affect her; she'd already lost him right in front of her by way of a car, but now, this seemed like it would only worsen the trauma. This was his actual soul that was at stake!

The howling of the wind began to quiet, the thunder subsided, the rooftop darkened from the absence of the lightning. Things were calming down, Taro was nowhere in sight. The only evidence that the chaos had ever happened at all was the markings drawn on the roof, the cowering form of Chihiro, who was quickly sinking out of Haku's grasp, to the ground. He held to her as she collapsed, and wrapped her up in caring arms, coming down to his knee himself. Even if he could find any words, none would comfort her, the damage was done, the wounds of the other day's accident had been refreshed only to be torn open even more. Haku's despair suddenly turned to anger, anger at the pointless loss of Taro's soul. Zeniba and Yubaba were equals in their spiritual power, so, logically, Yubaba's spell on Taro should have worked. The only difference he could see is the amount of care that the two witches had in their subjects; Zeniba cared for Haku and his fate, about recreating his love with Chihiro. Yubaba, however, probably only saw Taro as a tool, a possible worker when he returned to the spirit world again, something that could be useful, but no huge loss if met with failure. She saw everyone as a tool to get her richer.

Haku lifted his head slowly finding Yubaba exactly where she'd been, a glare written on his face. She was staring at the results of her spell, expressionless aside from the usual scowl she usually wore. Haku's stomach churned, finding that she didn't hold anything close to remorse over the loss of an innocent soul, and was about to yell to her to figure out why this was. But someone already beat him to it, as rain began to drip around the trio.

"How could you, Yubaba!" Chihiro cried, earning attention from the old witch, who turned her large eyes to stare at her company on the roof. "Don't tell me you didn't know what would happen if you failed! You just didn't care!!" Chihiro rose to shaky feet, shouting at the old woman, whose eyes had widened significantly.

"Ah, well look who's decided to come back." She cackled, getting over the initial shock of having company and coming a little closer to them. "If it isn't Sen, and Haku, how surprising to find you two together…I knew that dragon wouldn't let your rightful memory loss last near as long as it should." She added sarcastically.

"Enough!" Haku finally found his own voice. "Why did you agree to the spell? You obviously didn't care enough to do it properly, and now a soul has been lost!"

"I told that boy what would happen and he wouldn't back down, Haku, don't lay all the blame on me." Yubaba retorted, trying to tower over the river god that was almost a foot taller than her squat form, her wrinkled face scowling deeper. "We made a deal, he knew the terms!"

She moved her gaze to the girls again, finding Rumi with her arms wrapped protectively around her best friend, her chin nestled in the crook of Chihiro's neck. Rumi couldn't help but glare with deep and dark eyes from her position at the woman as well, she'd heard about the woman's treachery, and this new development was not helping her outlook on the spirit at all.

"I see you brought another human brat along to my bath house, Haku. I knew I sensed something." Yubaba mused nonchalantly, coming level with them. "Honestly, what is it with you and your family and friends wanting to come to my bath house like it's some sort of vacation for you?" Yubaba growled at Chihiro, who could only glare daggers back, silent tears falling down her cheeks. "So, this Taro was some sort of friend of yours, I assume? He talked about you so eloquently, Sen, said you deserved better than what he did to you. Hmm, some friend he must've been."

"Shut up." Chihiro growled, leaning a bit out of Rumi and Haku's grasp, almost contemplating attacking the witch. "You don't know anything! He saved me, that's how he came to this God-forsaken place in the first place! I'm sorry he had to have run into _you_ of all spirits! He saved my life and in return, his soul was lost, and it's your damn fault!!"

"Chi, ease up," Rumi pleaded her friend, who was now leaning dangerously close to starting something with the old spirit. She was ignored, though, as Chihiro continued pouring everything out.

"He was a better person than you could ever hope to be, and this is how he's repaid for it? Whatever happened to fair judgment by the gods?!" Chihiro spat, ignoring her friend for now. "He made some mistakes, but Taro deserved better, you had no right to take advantage of him!"

Yubaba simply watched the three humans before her, the two of them holding onto their struggling friend, who proved to have quite a lot of strength in her petite body. Haku left Chihiro's shoulder just in time to intercept her as she slipped further than ever out of their grasp with full intent to assault the owner of the bath house. He spoke calmly to her as she struggled against him, as if trying to run straight through him, and kept his arms steeled and wrapped around her. His efforts were almost in vain, as the teenager in his arms was proving a formidable opponent, for the first time fighting and resisting his embrace. She was crying into his shirt, still shouting at Yubaba, begging him to let her go. He suddenly knew how she must have felt when he'd been thrashing around in the boiler room after being given that nasty-tasting medicine. But he also knew, just as well as she had then, letting go wasn't an option.

"Chihiro, hear my voice; she's not worth the trouble, it's not worth getting into something dangerous," Haku told her firmly, but gently, knowing somehow that magic would not be necessary to restrain her. She was a wise girl, just overrun with emotion; this was an out burst, and, with any luck, would be over soon. "Hear my voice, Chihiro, come back to me." He whispered into her ear, willing with all of his being that this could just end, that she wouldn't be in such pain and guilt anymore. That none of this had ever happened, that Taro had simply stayed put in the spirit world.

Chihiro soon tired, her spurt of energy draining out fast in her already weary condition. Her cries had turned to scratchy pleas, and she had been gradually losing the will to fight Haku; the hands she'd been using to push and shove and even at times hit him rested now on his chest, as worn out as their owner. She was sinking into him now, her shouts turning to sobs, more tears summoning themselves to Haku's silk shirt. Haku whispered gently to her, lowering them both to their knees and cradling her into him, letting his shirt get soaked, letting the girl get these emotions out. Yubaba merely harrumphed at the scene that in her opinion was far too sappy and foolish for her own liking and continued her own taunting at the girl. She wanted the upper hand again; there was no way she was going to lose to a sob-fest of a human.

"You stupid girl, I told your ignorant dragon boyfriend, that boy_ knew _the terms!" Yubaba snapped, before noticing that look of warning coming from her mouse of a son; she loathed how her own baby, _her own Boh_, was siding with a trio of humans. Conjuring up some magic to clean the roof top of its arcane markings, Yubaba turned angrily with the whip of an arm to assault the black scorch marks left by the lightning's contact with the establishment. Once the platform had been cleansed, she turned toward the stairs.

"It's alright, Chihiro, she's not worth it," Haku repeated into Chihiro's ear, stroking her hair. "Don't listen to her. Taro's intentions were pure, take comfort in that."

"I just wish I could have gotten here sooner, just to tell him he didn't have to make anything up to me…" Chihiro murmured, more to the ground than anything. Boh leaned on her shoulder, giving the girl a slight, furry nuzzle of comfort. Haku kept her wrapped in his arms, stroking her back, choosing to ignore Yubaba; there was nothing that could be done, much less by simply yelling and glaring at the witch.

"Yeah, well why don't you just go tell him, if you're such good friends with him," Yubaba growled, stepping down a few stairs. "According to Boh, he's right where you left him!"

Haku suddenly glanced at Yubaba his decided ignorance of her being cast away for the moment. What was she getting at? Chihiro lifted her head, obviously wondering the same thing.

"What?" Rumi enquired, her eyebrow raised quizzically. "But he's a lost soul, how would Boh or any of us know where he is?" She observed, rising and stepping towards the witch, nearly in confrontation.

"Idiot humans…If you'd use the clues that have been given to you, you might just figure something out." Yubaba said heatedly and dismissively, not paying the girl enough respect to look back. "Make sure to tell that boy that he owes me a great deal for the damage he did to my bath house five years ago. That dent in finances is_ still_ evident today! And if Boh comes back with so much as a scratch on him, you'll all be pigs before you have a chance to blink!" Yubaba ranted furiously as she reached the lower level of the rooftop and disappeared from their senses.

Haku, Chihiro and Rumi all knelt, or stood, in confusion as the rain continued to drop just steadily around them, the light of the midnight moon illuminating their settings.

"What clues? What is she talking about?" Rumi complained, wondering if this world would ever make sense to her. "'Right where we left him'?"

"How does Taro owe her for damage?" Chihiro wondered, looking up at her friend, trying to work things out as well. "Five years ago, but that could be what Kaonashi did…"

Haku, however, was in his own world, on the verge of something.

"_Just keep in mind, not one Soul Conversion spell, successful or not, has occurred in centuries, aside from yours."_

"…_he owes me a great deal for the damage he did to my bath house five years ago."_

"…_He wanted dearly to go back. All he remembers of his life in the human world now is that it was cut short by tragedy."_

Kaonashi was a lost spirit, and had been for approximately five years. But, if what Tenryu had said was true, that wouldn't be possible. Tenryu had basically answered Haku's question if time mattered any in the placement of lost souls, leaving it possible for a victim of an unsuccessful Soul Conversion to land in a random time, as well as a random world. And now Yubaba was claiming that Taro owed her for the damage done by Kaonashi. Taro and Kaonashi. Their stories were far too similar to be ignored anymore, with these new pieces in the puzzle. Yubaba said that they had the clues, they just had to be put together. Haku was finding himself closer than ever to completing this puzzle, putting those mentioned clues together.

"Haku?" a gentle, soothing voice cut through the haze of Haku's inner thoughts, calling his attention to the hazel eyes in front of him. He glanced upward, from Chihiro's face, to see Rumi, still standing over the both of them. He looked back at Chihiro, as Boh shifted slightly, to see better around Chihiro's free locks of brunette hair. "Haku, are you ok?"

"You looked like you blacked out for a second, Haku…" Rumi provided, a look of worry to match Chihiro's.

Haku glanced away, the pieces flashing through his mind again, in review of them to ensure he might not have looked over anything in his new hypothesis. He felt himself lift a little as he found that his findings were supported by the existing evidence. He gave a silent thanks to Tenryu, and much to his surprise and dislike, Yubaba as he looked back at his Chihiro, running on something that could have been adrenaline.

Chihiro gasped as the river spirit grabbed a hold of both of her shoulders suddenly, finding some sort of renewed energy in his emerald eyes.

"Chihiro, I got it!" Haku stated excitedly, earning looks of both surprise and bewilderment from both of the girls. "I know now, I know where to find Taro!"


	20. Chihiro no Kokoro

-Catgirl-of-Bavaria-: And, so we are nearing the end…Already!? Wow, how fun…or something…I love this story! Gyah! I don't know how many exactly chapters there are left, and I admit that it's because I don't have them all written out yet! I am almost done with chapter 20 right now, but that is the extent of it! And, like I said, the sequel is currently in the works, and will be posted as promised when this story is finished.

On to this chapter; I really have no clue how I got the idea for this twist, but I was literally just lying in bed one night, pondering over what exactly to do with the story(I originally was going to have them go to the spirit world, find Taro, and they'd talk and such and have a happy happy ending, but ack, that was so premature and such a silly idea…lol) and suddenly, out of nowhere, this came to me! Lol, I am so glad it did too…My muse was watching out for me that night! Also, the title is Japanese, of course, meaning "Chihiro's heart/spirit" Not much reason behind making it Japanese besides, again, I'm a japanophile, and it sounds so nice, and fits the chapter. So yeah, there's my useless rambling for the update,

Chapter 19- Chihiro no Kokoro

"Wha-What?" Chihiro gaped at Haku, a little perturbed at his uncharacteristic enthusiasm. If she'd bothered to look at Rumi in that moment, she would have thought she'd be looking in a blonde, dark-eyed reflection of herself.

"Trust me, Chihiro, I know where Taro is…I know _who_ Taro is! Who he's been for the past five years!" Haku exclaimed, losing none of that adrenaline rushing through his system. He was met with double looks of confusion, or rather, quadruple, if Boh and Yu-bird were counted.

"What are you talking about, Haku?" Rumi asked, her arms wrapping around herself as protection from the increasing cold of the night. Haku gave the girls a crafty smile, his emeralds sparkling, despite the darkness.

"Taro _is_ Kaonashi!" he told them, earning looks of complete surprise from Chihiro and Rumi, demonstrating to him that they hadn't been expecting that. He gripped Chihiro by the shoulders still, and now used this grip to pull her to her feet with him. "Listen, I asked Tenryu back there if it was possible for lost souls to be transported not only to a random place in the worlds, but to a random place in _time _as well," Haku paused to see the effect of these words. He was met with looks that were still of confusion, but of increasing understanding. They were obviously catching on to his gist. "He didn't answer me straight, but, he did say this;"

Chihiro and Rumi looked at him expectantly, and even Boh and Yu-bird were entranced.

"He told me that not one soul conversion spell, successful or not, has been performed in centuries, aside from mine. Meaning, Kaonashi couldn't have materialized just days before you came, if restricted by time." Haku elaborated, "That's only been strengthened by what Yubaba said about Taro owing her money for Kaonashi's damage, and she even knew that I had the rest of the clues we needed!"

"Kaonashi…all that time, he was really Taro?" Chihiro gasped, turning it over in her mind. "Well, that almost makes sense, for all he followed me last time…It really was like he was trying to earn my respect…Maybe he was still trying to make it up to me…" She exchanged glances with Rumi. Haku nodded.

"He may have recognized you, even though you were ten back then." He observed, turning things over in his own mind.

"Yeah, but then why'd he chase you like that Chi?" Rumi pointed out, recalling the part of the story when Chihiro ran through the bath house from a raging Kaonashi, thus the damage that Yubaba had been talking about. Chihiro shrugged.

"I'm sure that wasn't really his intention, I said it back then, I think being inside this place makes him crazy…Maybe that has something to do with Yubaba, or something…" Chihiro shrugged. Haku beamed at her proudly; she understood the spirit world better than she realized.

"That's got to be it, Chihiro, I'm certain that in these types of spells, the conjurer and the subject have a sort of bond, and Taro's bond with Yubaba couldn't be a friendly one, considering what we just witnessed." Haku grabbed Chihiro by the hand and pulled her into him, wrapping his arms around her, while the wind appeared to pick up around them, swirling around the couple.

"I think it's time to visit Swamp Bottom," he whispered mistily to the both of them.

With that, the wind picked up, and Chihiro looked to Haku and found a flash of silver and deep teal, realizing that Haku was now a stunning dragon, twining his lengthy body around her. His emerald eyes gleamed at her, from his white wolf-like head, his mouth turned at the ends into a canine grin. He nuzzled her slightly, with a purr, obviously a signal for her to get on his back. Chihiro nuzzled him back, giving him a gentle kiss on his forehead. Then, quickly tying back her hair as he lowered himself to allow her easier access to her place, she gently tugged herself up, then motioned to Rumi. Rumi approached with just as much apprehension as eagerness, finding herself fixated on Haku's beauty. She took Chihiro's hand and mounted just behind her friend, wrapping her arms around Chihiro's waist. Chihiro took her grip on Haku's proud, golden-brown horns, which had grown with him, to about half a foot longer than she remembered them as being. She savored the sensation of his mane-also a bit longer than last time- brushing against her hands, finding it as a sensation she had missed more than she'd ever imagined. Haku shifted a little, in preparation of take-off. Behind Chihiro, Rumi was growing a little tense.

"Chihiro, what's flying on a dragon like?" She asked hastily, her nerves evident in her voice.

"It's like nothing you'll ever experience in the human world, Rumi-chan," Chihiro smiled back at her friend.

As if this were his cue, Haku took to the wind, leaping elegantly in a combination of upward and forward, soaring just feet above the rooftop, until the edge came. At this point, he went into a semi-dive, towards the water below, skimming the surface with his taloned feet before aiming towards the sky again. This stunt earned a small cry from Rumi, a laugh from Chihiro, who was now feeling Rumi's grip tighten around her waist, her blonde head pressing into her back. Boh, who was also used to flying from his last experience shared with Chihiro, took the liberty of transferring in a hap-hazard crawl to Rumi's shoulder. Haku climbed higher still, rising above the low clouds that were providing mild precipitation, bringing both the girls to a moonlit paradise above them.

"Rumi, are you looking at this? It's beautiful!" Chihiro called behind her over the wind that rushed around them from Haku's considerable speed.

Rumi chanced a glance at the world, finding her friend's word as indeed true. Instead of above, the clouds were below her, they were brilliantly lit by nothing more than the full moon that glowed above them, along with the stars. It was true, she'd never seen anything like it. But she still found that flight by means of a dragon was a little disconcerting, if only to her stomach; her senses were enjoying the treat, but she could not say the same for her stomach. She always had been the one to get carsick on long roadtrips. A glimpse through the clouds didn't help her much, they were so high above the world, she'd almost expect an airliner to come cruising by at any moment.

"Oh, man…" Rumi groaned as she began to feel a little dizzy along with airsick. "I never knew I hated heights so much…" She grumbled lightly as she recalled she'd never even been on so much as a roller coaster before this.

"Hang in there, Rumi-chan, I think we're about half way there," Chihiro tried to calm her friend. "Haku, you think we could go a little lower?"

'Of course,' Haku told her, before remembering that in this form he couldn't actually talk to the girls. How bothersome.

"Chu!" Boh's small mouse squeak was heard, sounding a little urgent, just as Haku was about to descend.

Chihiro turned quickly just in time to see Rumi slip, her grip on Chihiro's wiast going slack all too quickly.

"Rumi!" Chihiro cried, realizing that it was apparently her friend's turn to faint.

Her hand flew from Haku's horn, the other hanging on tight, to try for Rumi's. Her fingers grazed her friend's palm, and she was able to get a brief grasp of her hand before it slipped completely out of her hand, Boh meanwhile crawling down Rumi's arm and reaching for Chihiro with his tiny rat hands.

"Rumi! Boh!" Chihiro cried again, her hand still outstretched, watching as her friend plummeted out of the sky. Haku didn't waste any time and twisted into a dive after the fallen passengers, the sudden change of speed almost faulting Chihiro as well.

'Hang on, Chihiro,' he said instinctively, figuring it must have come out as some sort of growl from his dragon form.

He dove straight through the mist of the clouds, Rumi's postion set in his senses. He emerged through the bottom of the cloud, finding Rumi in his sight, not too far from recovery. Rumi, meanwhile, must have come back, for she shrieked at the sight of the ground coming to meet her, not realizing that Haku was just seconds from her. Chihiro was preparing herself to the task of grabbing her friend from the fall, when both she and her dragon were winded by something massive streaking just in front of, or rather, below them, stealing Rumi from their vision, giving them a flash of dazzling pewter shaded silver scales, and a long, flowing streak of raven fur. Haku coiled in mid air, recovering himself from the dive, and streaked after the other being, not knowing if it was a friend or foe who'd saved Rumi from an unfriendly meeting with the ground below. He straightened himself out, to find a magnificent dragon ahead of him, not unlike himself.

This other dragon, Haku's first and most important, urgent observation was carrying Rumi on his back, the startled girl clinging desperately to a body that was thicker than his own. It was covered in silver scales, but of a far deeper shade of the color than his quicksilver hue, and its mane was lengthy, luxurious, and pitch black, flowing with the wind majestically as it flew, winding its body that looked almost double the length of his. Haku sped up, passing the other up easily, for the lazy speed it was flying, and confirmed finally that all three Rumi, Boh and Yu-bird were safe on his back. He proceeded to the dragon again, finding his face. Perfectly sky blue eyes turned to peer sideways at Haku, and the being's shaggy canine mouth revealed an almost familiar grin.

'I can't allow you to let such a pretty girl to fall to her death, Kohaku,' the dragon told him, the grin also evident in his voice. Haku snorted with his wolfish features.

'Tenryu,' he confirmed, relieved that he hadn't lost Rumi to a hostile creature of the night. 'What brings you out here? Following us?'

'I can't let you have all the fun, now can I, Kohaku?' Tenryu sighed into the wind that brushed his face, swept his black bangs, still existent even in his dragon form, back out of his face. 'Things at the bath house are so boring. Thought I'd come see the fun, since you've finally figured out Kaonashi's secret.'

Haku snorted again. Had this absurd spirit known the whole time?

'Besides, this lovely lady would have been a third wheel, am I correct?' Tenryu chided his companion. 'Not very chivalrous, Kohaku, I'm disappointed in you,'

Haku rolled his eyes with a little sound of annoyance.

"Rumi-chan, you okay?" Chihiro called across the gap between the two dragons as soon as she realized that the dragon her friend was clinging to meant no harm, and was actually having something of a conversation with Haku.

Rumi merely nodded, her eyes shut tight and refusing to open for any reason, her hands wrapped in a generous collection of Tenryu's plentiful and luxurious fur.

"Just tell me when we're almost there, Chi!" the blonde called, burrowing her face into the fur now.

"Everything will be fine, I think it's Tenryu that caught you!" Chihiro observed. Rumi responded with a nod and further nuzzling into Tenryu's mane.

Chihiro smiled, just glad that her friend hadn't fallen to her death after all. She buried her chin into her own dragon's green fur, recalling again that irresistible sensation of déjà vu, recalling being in the Kohaku river itself, being swum to shore by Haku, her last moonlit flight with him. These memories occupied her between checks on Rumi until Haku gave a sound that was somewhere between a purr and a low growl. She pulled herself from her thoughts, to see a tiny collection of lights ahead. She figured instantly that it was Swamp Bottom, the lights coming from Zeniba's cottage, the hopping lamp that hung itself at the gate. A small smile rested on her lips as she recalled exactly who awaited her there, but that smile faltered as she thought about the fact that Taro was Kaonashi now, and possibly beyond help. Haku had, after all, told her in passing that the spell was irreversible.

"Kohaku, do you think it's possible at all to bring Taro back?" She whispered into his pointed ear. "That, there might be some way to turn Kaonashi back into Taro?"

Haku merely made a motion that could have been a shrug.

'Zeniba told me that there was no turning back, that he'd spend an eternity as a lost soul,' Haku wished he could actually talk to her, but found that silence might be preferable to the answer he'd just provided. 'But with you, Chihiro, I believe anything can be possible.' Now he really did wish he could speak to her. Again, he thought, how bothersome.

Chihiro decided that it'd be more to her benefit to ask him such things when he was actually capable of answering back, and settled back into her nest of his mane. He made his desire to answer her known with a deep purr that soothed her, to his relief. He swore that he'd give her his answer once they landed, which, now that he checked their progress, was not far off.

"Rumi-chan, we're almost there, I think we're gonna start going down now," Chihiro called to her friend.

"Great," Rumi said in a tone that to Chihiro was indistinguishable between panicked relief or sarcasm.

Tenryu took the first dive, careful to not upset the girl on his back, only easing into the downward steep. Haku followed suit, ready to land and be able to tell Chihiro exactly what he thought.

---

A masked shadow stood just outside the cottage door, sweeping the small stone patio, a look of calm on his painted mask. The moonlight was his only companion out there, as he stared wistfully at his work, at the little clouds of disturbed dust that reflected the silver light of the moon. Kaonashi and Zeniba both knew that, with Haku and Chihiro both regaining their memories in the human world, the couple would undoubtedly be there soon. Zeniba had said she was sensing their auras actually entering Aburaya earlier when the sun was setting. So, he smiled at the fact that it was likely to be very soon that he'd see them again.

Almost in answer to his thoughts, a squeak emitted from the animate lamp that was on its perch above Zeniba's gateway. Kaonashi looked up, his eyes meeting a pair of shadows twisting on the ground from the light of the moon. He looked up to the source of those shadows, finding not one, but two dragons soaring down to Zeniba's land plot in a majestic sort of twirling, mid-air slither silhouetted beautifully by the moon. One he definitely remembered as being Haku, but the other he couldn't say. Not to say he was worried, though, he could tell that the other dragon was a guest worth welcoming.

He lay his broom lightly against the wall next to the door, and leaned into the house through the open door.

"Ah," Kaonashi called to Zeniba, finding her already preparing a batch of tea for the visitors.

"I'll be right there, Kaonashi," she called back, well aware of the troupe that was approaching her house.

Kaonashi turned just in time to see the dragon Haku set down, Chihiro clinging to the back of his extended dragon neck. His spirit lifted to see her again, after five whole years. The other, darker river dragon carried on the wind to a graceful landing next to Haku, the moon bouncing playfully off of beautiful pewter scales, and a head of blonde hair, another human clinging tightly to her host, her hands wrapped several times in the creatures rippling black mane. Kaonashi took a few drifting steps forward, eager to welcome the guests.

Chihiro straightened up as Haku touched down, finding a familiar masked face at the doorway to greet them. Tenryu settled next to her, and she found Rumi, still clinging, her eyes still stark shut. She suppressed a laugh, and Haku lowered his head, setting her closer to solid ground. She took his help and swung one leg over his body, sliding casually off him. Haku wasted no time in transforming back, not wanting to keep her in his silence anymore.

"Chihiro," he said gently, causing her to whirl around from her gaze at Kaonashi, or rather, Taro. He took both her hands in his, lifting them to be pressed on his silk adorned chest. "Chihiro, I don't know if there's any way to bring Taro back again from his current form," His face nearly faltered at her face of moonlit disappointment, but pressed on, determined to help her see that he truly supported her, that he wanted Taro to be helped as much as possible, as much as she did. "But you must believe me, when I say that I believe in you, no matter the odds. If there is a way, I am certain that you _will_ find it." He pressed his forehead against hers lovingly.

Chihiro blushed, finding his words quite possibly the most humbling she'd ever heard. She couldn't be that great, she always convinced herself that she was normal, nothing special. She'd done a lot on her last visit to Aburaya, true, but she was convinced that it was a streak of luck, she'd acted on pure adrenaline when she was trying to help Haku. This particular case would no doubt take a bit of thought and even studying, and Chihiro remembered all too well the battles fought with her parents over report cards, announcements of detentions assigned from lack of completed homework. She, in her informed opinion, was not that smart in the academics department.

"But how, Haku, I don't know anything about magic, and I'm not that smart to begin with…" she told him timidly, her eyes finding focus on the jade etchings on his shirt.

"Chihiro. If anyone can do this, I'm sure it's you. You did so much last time, and you hadn't the faintest idea of what was going on in the bath house, or this world as a whole, aside from the little I told you. Do you know why?" He tilted her chin so he could see those hazel eyes of hers. "You have a strong spirit. You have a strong heart, and that's what gave you your intuition last time. You acted purely out of your heart's desire to help your friends; to save me, to give Kaonashi a chance at friendship, to release your parents from Yubaba's spell." His brilliant jade eyes gleamed at her hazel ones, and the cute look on her face at that moment made him want to wrap her in his arms that instant! But he kept a hold of himself; time for that would come later. "Trust in yourself, Chihiro. Because you have one of the strongest spirits that I've ever sensed in a human." His hands tightened only gently around hers, at the same time, pressing them into his chest, certain that she would now be able to fell his heartbeat.

"Well, I never thought I'd see the day…" Tenryu sighed exasperatedly from beside the couple, catching them off guard and calling them with a start from their heart-to-heart. They found him, human formed again, in quite an odd situation. "I never thought I'd see the day that a human girl would be clinging to me like this…" He rubbed his head with a free hand while his other supported one leg of a still-tense Rumi, in a piggy-back position on his back, arms wrapped tightly around his neck, legs wrapped around his waist, eyes still tight shut, as if she were still in the air. Boh was meanwhile turned to Rumi, nudging her cheek slightly with his lavender furred forehead. Haku nearly laughed to notice a blush spead across Tenryu's face, a look of pained contemplation, as if he were fiercely debating whether this new development with a pretty girl clinging to him in such a way was promising or whether he should be thinking about such engaging options in the first place, considering how the only reason she was clinging to him was out of her fright of flight and fall.

Apparently the flirt in him, which, fair to say, was most of him and his personality, got the better of him in this fight.

"Hey, koishii, the ride's over," He took her chin in his fingers, lifting her face from her arms. "But I'm free a little later if you want another," his voice had suddenly attained a slightly husky tone, which brought Rumi to her senses about her current…_closeness_ to a certain, lecherous river god.

She responded with a little squeak, her eyes widening, her cheeks becoming painted thoroughly with red, at the same time leaping off his back. She didn't look at her carrier as she fingered her short blonde hair out of nervous habit meeting up with a Chihiro who was still concerned over her fall. Tenryu shook out any opposing wrinkles in his outfit, a number of midnight blue silk that wasn't unlike Haku's current fashion though a bit other-worldly, with the shirt's material that pointed just over the edge of his shoulders, the collar high and extending in a 'v' down half his chest. He lifted to grin at her despite her decided ignorance of him, and caught Haku's look, one involving a raised eyebrow, as if in his own contemplation of smacking the other spirit upside the head as he so freely did with Manoro. Funny, Haku was closer than ever to actually doing so. He decided, with a disapproving shake of his head, that this spirit _had_ to be The Spirit Realm's version of Manoro.

"No offense to Haku or anything, but next time I wanna take the train here, Chi…" Rumi murmured, coming and resting her head on Chihiro's shoulder.

"So," Tenryu sighed, leaving Chihiro to comfort the other girl and coming up next to the younger river spirit, gazing towards two approaching figures, Zeniba and Kaonashi. "What's the plan?"

"You tell me." Haku responded tersely. "If you know so much about this particular spell, then tell me if there's any possible way to reverse this, any possible clue." He crossed his arms and stared after their oncoming welcome party as well. Tenryu threw him a wide-eyed look through his lengthy midnight bangs.

"What, after you gave her the touching 'follow your heart' speech? You want an actual, book supported way to do this?" he suggested loosely.

"I want any way that will get the job done, to make Chihiro feel more confident about it." Haku countered, nearing impatience. "Now, tell me what you know. How do we undo this?"

Kaonashi and Zeniba were almost there now, Haku needed an answer, if there was one. Chihiro needed it. Tenryu sighed.

"I speak the truth when I say that there is no known way to do it. There's never been anyone who was in Kaonashi's position that was reversed, so the spell went into the few books that it's in as being irreversible." Tenryu told Haku underhandedly, a little down-trodden himself. "Chihiro will have to start from scratch on this one, I'm afraid." He concluded in a hushed voice. Haku decided to take the answer he was given and turned to Chihiro with a sigh.

He found her already facing him, a look of fearful determination on her face. He felt a little eased to see such a look; no one could ever accuse her of being anything of a coward. She always gave it her all, even in cases like this, where the odds were stacked frighteningly high against her cause. He took her by the hand, ready to escort her to her self-assigned duty.

"Chihiro, dear, I always knew we'd see you again!" Chihiro found herself wrapped in the welcoming embrace of Zeniba, the stark opposite of the witch Yubaba. "You still wear that hair tie, I see, that's our girl, right Kaonashi?"

"Ah, Ah," Kaonashi replied, nodding his head calmly, not helping the fact that his painted smile was broader than it had probably ever been. Chihiro looked just the way he'd left her.

Chihiro's gaze caught on Kaonashi for a second, reflecting on the mystery of the person inside who'd she'd known so much longer than she ever expected.

"Kaonashi…" She said simply, staring at the tall spirit, finding that he was still a foot taller than her.

"Oh, Chihiro, you brought a friend as well," Zeniba observed, turning a hug to Rumi. Chihiro turned from her reverie to introduce her friends to each other, finding herself bringing Tenryu into the mix as well. Might as well get everyone configured before truly setting things into motion.

"Now, dears, I know that there's something weighing heavily on your minds," Zeniba suggested, leading Haku almost to wonder if she had the same knowledge of Kaonashi's true identity as he suspected Tenryu of possessing.

Haku took hold again of Chihiro's hand, giving her an encouraging smile. Chihiro peered to the faces of Rumi and Tenryu, finding just as much support in their eyes. She nodded and took in a bit of air, prodding her brain into action. Her hand left Haku's reluctantly, her eyes keeping in contact with his until their fingers had completely parted, and she walked slowly towards Kaonashi. The sixteen year old looked upward to his mask, deciding on her first move. She took a hold of his black hands, finding them a bit cold, somehow giving her the feeling as though she were grasping mist.

"Kaonashi, I never knew much about you back when I first came here," Chihiro started, hoping that her heart would show her good grace again. "But now, I do know a bit about how you came to be Kaonashi, from what Haku has passed on to me. I know even more now, with the help of my friends," She threw a fleeting glance at Tenryu. "I know even more. I know who you were before you became Kaonashi. Before you came to the spirit world. I want to help you remember, and I hope, regain that identity."

Kaonashi stared back at her, remembering something, something about those hazel eyes, his memory of another world was beginning to surface. This girl, close to him, it seemed so familiar to him, but in ways and settings different from their adventure five years previous.

Chihiro shut her eyes lightly and took in more breath, trying to convince herself that she could do this task. She remembered her talk with Haku. He had told her that she had a strong spirit, and that was what carried her through this world the last time. She had to trust her heart, trust in herself, like he said. She thought, but this time using her heart, trying to come up with something. The only thing that came to her was visions of Taro, being with him in happy times. Taro and Haku. Kohaku. Her river spirit, who she'd saved from Yubaba by returning his true name to him. Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi. She recalled that name had a profound effect on her dragon; it had instantly freed him from Yubaba. She'd given it to him so casually, only on the slightest chance that it'd help him, but it turned out to be the most important move she could make, the very thing that he needed to secure his freedom. His name was all he needed to be released.

Chihiro snapped back to the present, her eyes suddenly more confident than ever before. She had the answer.

"Kaonashi, you are Keitaro Fushiyama." Chihiro stated firmly, simple as that, being sure to use his full name, not the shortened version that she so often knew him as. Her grip on his chilly hands became firmer, more reassuring.

She was answered with the sound of a great crack, and noticed with a gasp that the expression on Kaonashi's mask of a face had gone stark still, a long crack stretched now from top to bottom, forking only once, the smaller fracture stemming off to the bottom rounded corner of the white mask.

A collective gasp came from behind Chihiro, though she wasn't currently aware of it. The edges of Haku's lips turned into a slight smile, and Tenryu stepped only forward enough from his station next to the river god to catch Haku's eye, jade meeting accomplished and assuring sky blue eyes. On his other side, Tenryu noticed a hand was on his sleeve, and found it attached to an astonished Rumi, who's expression showed that she wasn't sure if the event before them was a good sign or not. He sent his arm to just drape casually around her, earning a look of shock from Rumi, but no apparent objection. She seemed to take his message of reassurance to heart, and relaxed under his arm.

Chihiro stared as the wind began to swirl around them, in a perfect little cyclone. The current of air took on a shadowy aura to it, and she wondered, a little worried, if this was how it was to happen, as she found herself in the swirling darkness that consumed the two. The only things she was conscious of now were that her hands were still clasped onto Kaonashi's cold, mist-like hands, and that the only thing visible in the moving shadow was Kaonashi's splintered mask.

Haku could now just barely see Chihiro's outline in the swirl of shadow, and watched in fascination as the black rose in a swirl to the clouds. The shadow seemed to emanate from Kaonashi himself, and appeared to look almost inky, like his very body. Haku took his eyes to Kaonashi for a moment, and found that his shape was shifting, as though he were disintegrating into a different form…

Chihiro peered nervously around them, finding it a little daunting that she was practically left alone in such impenetrable darkness; Kaonashi didn't seem to know what was happening, at least judging by the fact that his mask hadn't moved or changed in expression since it cracked. She supposed that maybe, if it was working, the mask wasn't really a part of him anymore. Something else distracted her from this observation, though; his hands were beginning to take a somewhat more definite shape, they grew larger than hers, and more importantly, the sensation they were giving her that reminded her of concentrated mist, was progressively disappearing, giving way to a whole new sensation.

Warmth.

His hands were becoming stronger, and glancing down at them now through the darkness, she saw the black shapes in her hands merging into lighter color, a different shape.

With another crack, the mask finally broke in two, the fragments falling straight into the dirt below, the shadows beginning to grey and fade away.

"_Thank you, Chihiro_," a familiar voice sighed, through the slowly dissipating darkness.


	21. Behind the Mask

-Catgirl-of-Bavaria- : Hey, peoples, So sorry it took so long to get this one up, like I said in my profile, The internet was disconnected from my room, which is where my stories live in my computer. We just got Comcast, and we hooked it up so I could get service up here with some wireless contraptions, but they weren't working, thus, my stories have been trapped in Word for a while. But, my dad fixed whatever problem was plaguing the little devices, and lo and behold! I has hi-speed internets in my room, OMGyay. XD…I last updated on the thirteenth, so that's about…counts on her fingers 3 weeks and 3 days that this story has been neglected! Gyah, gomen nasai, I blame it on technology! bows apologetically

So, anyway, back to my happy little world of fan fiction, I did a little change of pace here, and this chapter is meant to give a little more perspective to Kaonashi/Taro, and how he felt connected to her during her first visit to the Spirit World, and how Zeniba came to understand him and his past and his obvious connection to her. So, this won't exactly be where I left off with Chihiro giving him his name back dodges whatever random objects that are being thrown at her by disgruntled readers that want the story to get a move on Don't worry, I'll update promptly to make up for technology's shortcomings!

And, on a not so different subject, the sequel to this story is getting developed, I think I'm on my 4th or 5th chapter already! Woot! I really like how my ideas are coming along for that one. Fan fiction really is awesome for developing creativity and keeping your imagination well-oiled! Love it! So, without further ado, chapter 20, the long awaited update of my pride and joy of a story! Enjoy and review, my lovelies!

Chapter 20- Behind the Mask

He stood there before one bridge, not quite knowing why. He'd been wondering around for days, not sure at all of how it came to be this way. He'd not met many, and those few who he made himself known to in this little town of shadow spirits had shut the doors to their cafés to him, feigning that they were closed. None wanted to be near him, they all feared him, and they didn't want to know him. He couldn't place why, but not even he knew who he was. And so Kaonashi wondered, hoping he might stumble on something that led him to his past.

-

Night had come to this world of spirits, and he was on the bridge again. The bridge led up to that monstrous building that he somehow remembered. Customers were pouring in, but no one seemed to notice him, the dark, shadow of a figure with nothing more than a mask to exhibit his expressions. He played with this mysterious ability of his to become invisible, and stood, at the railing in the center of the bridge, watching as guests to the resort towering above them passed by with not so much as a glance to him, whether he was visible or not.

-

The post-dusk twilight progressed beautifully into darkness, and the variety of creatures on the bridge astounded him. He'd never seen such creatures in his life, he was sure. He watched them with fascination, a little smile on his mask, as they would all press past him, ready to get themselves to their baths. After a gaggle of forest imps and some duck spirits, he saw a specimen that intrigued him more than any one of the preceding beings; A human girl, clasping tightly onto another, human-looking boy. Somehow, though he knew, the boy was a young river spirit. Somehow, even, he looked familiar, like the young form of someone he only very vaguely recalled. The girl, however, the girl gave him that same sensation, though a good deal stronger; He remembered a girl who looked amazingly like this one, though older. He had the image in his head, though it was hazy. That girl in his memory was staring at him, looking as if she were about to cry. It was a sad memory, he knew, even only knowing that much. The girl now, she was almost passing him now, her cheeks puffed out in holding her breath, clinging to the river spirit that held a spell of hiding over her, keeping her out of the other spirits' vision. He could still see her though. And now, she could see him, for her large, hazel eyes caught on his mask as she passed. A pang of familiarity stole through him, looking into those eyes, following them until they were out of sight. The creature called Kaonashi was left alone with this one single remnant of a memory, and a strange feeling that left him asking for forgiveness.

-

She was the first to ever look at him, and it haunted him. Though, it wasn't necessarily a haunting to be feared, or to try to resist. He felt intrigued by it, the most wanted he'd felt since he came to be in this odd world. He'd remained on the bridge all night, somehow not feeling hunger, not feeling tired. Now it was daytime, when the rest of the spirit world was fast asleep. And he stood there, alone on the bridge, having not moved since he saw that familiar little girl. He utilized his ability to become unseen as he noticed the young river boy crouching through a small gate. The young spirit proceeded across the bridge, not taking notice of the spirit already there, or at least not acknowledging him. The masked spirit sat alone with his thoughts for a moment, trying to remember past that one image of that girl, that near-crying girl that looked hauntingly like the younger one he'd just seen last night. The hidden gate squeaked again, and he saw the girl, outfitted in a work uniform of salmon creep through. He released himself of invisibility as she came to the end of the bridge. She paused to stare at him, before running past with a mid-run bow. He smiled and faded back into camouflage, covered just in time for her to turn back to look for him. She looked puzzled for a moment, but was then joined by her river spirit friend, and he was left alone with his thoughts again. Those thoughts provided the same question; who was she, and why, in his memory, was the older version of herself on the verge of tears? Another, more daunting thought, had he done something to make her cry? Was that the reason for this feeling of regret?

-

Rain poured on his shadow of a body as he stood motionless in the garden, peering through glass shoji doors into the bath house. No one seemed to notice him, still, but he could care less anymore. There was only one he wanted to notice him, which was that girl, Sen, as he came to hear her name as. He watched as the girl of his query came into view, an oversized bucket of water sloshing in her hands as she carefully used her full body to support it without spilling as she walked. Setting the thing down with care, she slid the door open, and tipped the thing over, sent its contents of soiled wash water into the garden. She caught him in her sights, that mysterious masked spirit. He said nothing as she asked him if he was getting wet; not really out of ignoring her, but rather out of inability to speak as she did. Someone called to her inside, and she sent him a smile. She informed him that she was going to leave the door open for him, and hurried away to her work. He glided to the open side door, and disappeared into the bath house, in search of something he could do to atone for whatever wrong he'd committed to her.

-

That foreman, he was hassling her, refusing to give her the wooden bath token that she needed, and Kaonashi wouldn't have that. He took his chance, when the frog picked up the phone on his podium, and rematerialized behind him. Sen saw him, and he bowed, wishing to tell her that he was helping her out here. She returned the bow, much to the foreman's confusion. Kaonashi disappeared before the frog had a chance to spot him, and lifted, with an invisible hand, a token that looked decorated enough to serve her purposes, and tossed it to the youth. She threw herself into a deep bow, with a cry of gratitude, and sped off before the foreman had a chance to object any further. Kaonashi, unseen to anyone, smiled. That had a good effect, he was pleased to see. He wondered how much more of an effect he could get if he brought her more…

-

He'd grabbed them when the foreman had run off somewhere in the direction of the front door. Several bath tokens, he'd offered her, only wishing to please her. He didn't know what he'd done to her before he came to this world, but he didn't want to just let himself go unpunished, either. He wanted to make it up to her. But maybe he was going about it wrong, for she'd objected. She'd done so kindly, but he still felt rejection, as he let the several swiped bath tokens in his hands slip with a great clatter to the floor once he'd disappeared. He had to go watch from the sidelines again, to see what it was this girl of his mysterious past truly wanted.

-

They were all going crazy now, all the staff of the bath house. Jubilation was everywhere in the bath house, in the midst of that terribly rich River God. They were scrambling over each other, with cries of 'Gold!' and 'Give me some!' He knew what gold was, but he couldn't really understand why they were that crazy over a shiny piece of rock. Then again, maybe that girl, Sen, would like some gold too, especially now that the old witch of the place, Yubaba was claiming it all for herself, taking it away from all the workers who actually earned it with their work. Sen deserved the biggest share, considering it was her who had discovered the plight of the supposed stink spirit. He sat in wonder in a bathing stall just across from the one containing the ruckus of the staff members, and stared at his black hand, and looked, pleased, at a shiny amber rock as it emerged from his palm. He smiled and disappeared into his surroundings.

-

He heard light footsteps in the darkness, and he decided somehow to avert his attention from Sen, if only for a moment, just to test his abilities.Though he was feeling a little odd; he suddenly wanted food, he wanted attention. He saw the little green frog enter the big tub cubicle, scrounging for gold, and he couldn't tell why, but Sen dropped from his mind only to be replaced with want, with greed. He crawled, unseen into the great tub as the frog outside continued scratching in between floorboards for even a slight speck of gold. Kaonashi put his skills to work, and sent one rock of gold to bounce off the tub and down to the frog's sight. He lept at it, and caught sight of the mask peering down at him. Kaonashi silenced his scolding cries with more bits of gold seeping through his hands. He couldn't place this sensation coming over him, it was foreign, and not like him. The girl Sen was becoming farther from his mind with this new, strange thing rising inside him. It finally consumed him, this odd feeling, when the frog got too close, lured by the gold in Kaonashi's hand. When the greedy little creature grabbed at the counterfeit gold, he was taken over; the frog became the first, unsuspecting victim of Kaonashi's oncoming craze.

-

She was running through the crowd, and happened in front of him and the foolish host who was dancing and singing about tips. She didn't look like she had a clue as to what was going on, and even looked panicked. Kaonashi caught her in his sights, and he suddenly remembered her, and his mission to help her. He was brought back to this through the haze of his sudden and unexplainable greed, and tossed the host out of his way, leaning down to see her, to give her the offering that he'd originally planned on giving her. Holding his hands in front of his swollen body, he conjured the greatest pile of gold he'd created yet, and offering that was only fit for her and her alone. She looked astounded at his sudden creation of the gold, but shook her head. Again, she didn't want his offering? Again, she was rejecting him? She pardoned herself, polite and kind to him as ever, and ran away through the crowd. The gold clattered loudly to the polished wooden floor, and the staff around him tossed their manners to the winds and started throwing themselves at his feet, trying to scavenge whatever gold they could. Kaonashi, however, didn't notice for the moment, and stared forlornly after the human girl. What was he doing wrong? He just wanted to make whatever he'd done up to her, apologize for bringing sadness to her eyes. His host apologized to him for Sen's supposed rudeness, and Kaonashi felt himself plunge back into this craze created by a friction of souls, feeling his anger and resentment mounting against whatever will he had left. One thing still remained of himself, though; he wanted Sen.

-

It was Yubaba, the witch spirit and the owner of the bath house, she was trying to get him to calm out of his fit. But this woman, she seemed only to fuel his hatred, he just didn't know why. This was the soul that disagreed with his, that was driving him insane, and he was sure of this. He felt more lost in himself than ever, the more he looked at the hideous spirit in front of him, the more he raged. He didn't want this woman near him, he wanted Sen, and he was making it quite avidly known through the voices of the workers inside of his stomach…if he was sure he had one. Finally, at long last, they'd found Sen, she was there, about to come in to see him. Finally, Yubaba left him in that room, and was replaced with Sen. She sat there, on the floor, still faced before Kaonashi. He made her an offering of food, took another try at giving her gold, but still she resisted. Finally, he gave in, and asked her straight out what she wanted, near begging, just wanting some hint. She responded, saying she wanted to leave. He sank into more confusion, that feeling of insanity coming up again, but she was still there, this time asking him about himself, asking if he had a family, telling him that he should return to them. Kaonashi cowered, knowing there was no such thing in his life, he told her, he told her he was lonely, and he just wanted to do something for her!

Then she gave him that morsel of medicine from the River God, and things just went even crazier from there.

-

He couldn't place exactly why he was chasing her; but one theory, his own, _Kaonashi's_ theory, was to stay with her, both to soothe his own loneliness and to find out what the girl truly wanted, so he could offer it. The other part of him, the Kaonashi driven by insanity caused by being in the bath house, that haven of the spirit Yubaba, _that_ Kaonashi was actually trying to get back at Sen for that foul tasting medicine. He couldn't even tell if it was helping; he knew that he was leaving a mess behind him, he was wasting away and wretching like nothing else, but was that necessarily a good thing? He focused on Sen, heeding her instruction to follow her, barreling down the corridors through seas of scattering workers. He even recalled having passed Yubaba, giving her an unpleasant greeting in his wake. He would have laughed, had he the time; he totally believed she deserved it, for what being around her was doing to him. Sen, she would sometimes glance back to him, to ensure he was on her tail. The true Kaonashi admired how brave she was, how compassionate she was, to do that. Nonetheless, the confused creature followed her, followed her down stairs, through hallways wide and narrow, until finally, two of his victims were returned to the bathhouse, and he saw day light ahead of him. The farther he pursued her, the more of that insane, monster of a Kaonashi he left behind.

-

Coming into the daylight was almost like being reborn to him, he almost felt the other, crazy, Yubaba-intolerant Kaonashi disappear from him, to be left in the bath house. He strolled out onto a broad pipe, watching Sen on the water, drifting slowly away in that little paddle boat. She turned as she shed her salmon work shirt, and called to him to follow. Gladly, he obeyed.

-

This seemed right, now, to all of them. He sat at the spinning wheel, not even comprehending how he knew how to spin the thread in his fingers. Not only did he finally feel accepted by Sen, but by her new friends as well. Boh and Yu-bird, in their small forms, running the wheel in a way that almost made him wish he could laugh. Zeniba fed them all instructions on how to do the knitting, and they all knew they were creating something special, for Chihiro, the girl in the corner, battling through her own haze of memories for clues of the boy called Haku. Kaonashi had an idea of what she truly wanted now. And he was beginning to accept, as he twined the threads together between his fingers into a dazzling purple band, that he couldn't offer her true desire; and it felt vaguely familiar to him. This boy called Haku; he was quite obviously what she wanted, and he couldn't offer it. But Zeniba had in fact offered this alternative, this hairband in the making. He'd put his own work into it, and it would offer his help and protection to her. That would surely be enough.

-

Kaonashi swept the floor of the great room, the bristles of the broom just grazing the slight layer of dust on the floor. He drifted, with his little pile of swept debris, towards the door he knew was Zeniba's study, when he heard the sound of the front door opening on its hinges with a light creak. He looked towards that door and saw a face that had become familiar over the last few months, one framed with growing forest hair. Jade eyes met with his mask face, and Kaonashi bowed with a light smile.

"Evening, Kaonashi," Haku said, his slight exhaustion hidden by his voice and a put on smile.

"Ah," Kaonashi responded mistily, nodding in reply. He could tell already that his separation was beginning to weigh on the dragon's heart. It had been almost two years since he'd seen Chihiro off, and up until now, he'd managed to avert the heart ache that the split would bring to him with venturing around The Realm and helping out at the bath house. Even now, only a few months since he'd arrived and then agreed to take Zeniba's attic as his residence, he'd done a fair job in hiding and even suppressing his growing depression. Somehow, through the heartbreak, the spirit's posture still remained straight as a board; his head was always held high. But it seemed that something in his eyes had died, the day Chihiro had left. Even Kaonashi could see this, through all the hiding the forlorn dragon did these days.

But living with a witch meant that there were almost no completely private or hidden feelings. And so, even Zeniba had been off for a while, spending a good amount of time in her study.

As he watched the dragon pull himself up the stairs behind the back wall of the kitchen that led to his attic room, Kaonashi turned his attention back to his cleaning job. He decided it was time to move to Zeniba's study, and knocked lightly on the door.

"Come in, dear," Zeniba responded kindly from within. Kaonashi pulled himself in, his broom at the ready in the room that was carefully lit with a few oil lamps.

Kaonashi stared around for a second, finding the room ample with books, of various conditions, and papers everywhere. It didn't appear to have any sort of set organization, though the piles of books, sometimes stacked from the floor to a height above even Kaonashi, somehow managed to keep from toppling.

"Ah?" Kaonashi asked her what she was up to.

"Spell searching, Kaonashi, dear." Zeniba replied, with the flip of a page in her current reading. "I'm looking for some way to help our friend up there." She gave him a little smile, pointing her painted finger up to the ceiling, indicating their other room mate.

"Ah…Ah?" Kaonashi paused his brushing of the wooden floors and came closer to her, asking if anything useful was coming through.

"Actually, I'm looking at one spell, though it's risky." Zeniba scanned her current page, utilizing an admirable talent for reading while talking. "I may have to keep on it, study it more before it would be any use to us. We want both Chihiro and Haku alive and well if we wish to reunite them." She added with a sort of dark humor.

"Ever heard of a Soul Conversion spell, Kaonashi?" Zeniba asked her companion lightly, in conversation.

This simple question, however, brought a sort of recognition to Kaonashi's eyes, almost like the feeling he first had when seeing Chihiro; though, this was a little more detailed.

_He saw a man, dark haired, bright eyed, and he was discussing that spell, that soul conversion spell. Kaonashi himself seemed quite interested, and he kept thinking about one thing; Chihiro. _

_He kept thinking about her, during his last moments, and that image was there, the one of what looked like a teen age Chihiro, on the verge of panic and tears. Now something else was added to the scene, though; blood. And a lot of it._

Kaonashi somehow knew it wasn't Chihiro's blood he was seeing…It was his. He felt a deep sadness wash over him, something tragic had resulted in that vision. That had to have been his end, at least of his time in the human world. Though he still wondered why it was he felt so indebted to Chihiro for. He was beginning to think, even more, that he somehow was connected to her before everything ended for his human self.

Then Kaonashi forced his mind back to that man. He had been asking that man for information, on this Soul Conversion spell that Zeniba was speaking about. He suddenly knew, without asking Zeniba or consulting the book over her shoulder, that this particular spell consisted of granting the subject a new entity, and that mistakes in the spell were very risky. A spell unsuccessfully performed would cause the subject's soul to be lost. This must have been what the man had told him!

"Ah, Ah!" Kaonashi exclaimed, saying that he had indeed heard of the spell.

"Oh, really, Kao?" Zeniba looked up at him, her eyes wide as plates. "I thought I'd sensed a strong magic about you. Do you think, Kaonashi, that," Zeniba suddenly narrowed her eyes thoughtfully looking him up and down, as if she could read his magical history just by doing so. "You had the spell performed on you?"

Kaonashi thought, then nodded slowly. His returning memory, scanty as it was, was indeed pointing to that option.

Zeniba's wide, wrinkled mouth turned into a grin, and she turned to her book again, flipping fast with an arcane flick of her finger, through the pages, retreating back to a certain page that she'd marked with a loose strip of paper. The pages settled on this one page, and she picked up the dusty book. Kaonashi watched her eyes scan the page over the top of her book, in silence.

"Aha!" Zeniba exclaimed in a hiss. Her owl eyes turned back up to her companion, who had started slightly with her sudden burst of energy. "Kaonashi, that's it; you're a lost soul!" Kaonashi stared, his painted eyes widening a bit at her.

"It's obvious that you're an unusual spirit, and this says that the spell is dangerous and hasn't been performed all too much at all, so, a being that's had this spell on them, successful or not, is not going to be common by any means…" Zeniba observed, her finger grazing her wrinkled skin in thought. "

Kaonashi went on to explain what he'd suddenly remembered, having seen the man, the girl who looked as if she were an older version of Chihiro, and possibly having seen the last few moments he knew as being human.

Zeniba was thoughtful the whole time, pondering the aspects of these observations. Kaonashi was certainly tied to Chihiro, in some way, but how, was unclear to her. She doubted she would know, though, how they were related, at least, judging by what Kaonashi had said about his memory of her being as a young adult form. If that was the case, perhaps Chihiro and Kaonashi's previous being had not met in the Human world yet; she did not rule out the possibility of time having some effect on the spell, as a powerful spirit, she knew a great many things were possible in the laws of magic.

It was extremely obvious to the witch now, that great things could come of this spell; great wonderful things, but also great, terrible things. She'd set her mind and magic to focusing on this spell's every detail, honing her skills along the way, and offer it to Haku as a relief from his grief. She'd memorize every precaution, every instruction, for now she knew, she had living proof of the consequences, should she fail Haku.

And Kaonashi was bent on helping her figure the spell out. For, it remained a fact, that Chihiro's dearest wish was for Haku the river spirit, and he never did give up hope of pleasing his human friend.

Hopefully, in the end, fate and the spell would give them a better chance than it had for him.

-Catgirl-of-Bavaria-: By the way, happy Christmas, and happy 2007, people! See you guys next year!


	22. A New Promise

-Catgirl-of-Bavaria-: Omg, I am so late with this update…I said last time that I'd be quick to make up for technology's shortcomings…but, ack, it's been more than a month since then! January seriously just flew by, I don't know where it went! I know I've been hard at work on my latest addition to my fanfiction works, a little project about Oban Star-Racers. If any of you guys like OSR, please, check it out! (especially if you are like me and love the Molly/Aikka pairing!) I'm actually getting a great response to that one, it hasn't even been up a week, and it's just passed 700 hits. I think that's a good thing….:sweatdrops:. Anyhow, to get off my bragging horse…If there is such a horse…

So, this chapter, as I think I mentioned before, is the last one of this story! I've really been stalling on it as well because I wanted this to be a good send off of the story. So I was trying to go for a good way to end it and tie up all the ends, without it sounding corny and put together. Whether it turned out that way, I guess is up to you guys…heh heh…

Aside from that, the sequel, as promised, will be coming soon! Look for it!

Chapter 21- A New Promise

Before Chihiro could comprehend what was happening, the hands in her own left, and she was pulled forward by a strong set of arms and her forehead was suddenly resting on what she could only guess was a well toned chest. Inside this body, she could feel as well as hear an assuring heart beat.

This was not Kaonashi that was holding her in an embrace.

Maneuvering her head to place her gaze above her, her hazel eyes caught sight of softened versions of the dark eyes she knew in the human world. These eyes looked almost foreign to her, but there was no doubt in her mind. Those eyes could only belong to one person.

"Taro…" Chihiro whispered with a smile, feeling something of great weight lifting from her heart. "It worked, I did it…" She smiled, releasing a couple of joyful tears onto his chest.

"Of course you did, Chihiro. You're Sen, after all." Taro's voice was still as deep as she recalled it, but it felt appreciative, it felt soft to her. "I thank you."

Taro placed a chaste kiss on her forehead in thanks, and let his hands meet with hers as the last of the darkness around them disappeared. He peered down at himself, finding an outfit entirely out of black, just a simple cotton tunic and pants. On the ground, something else caught his eye. Chihiro followed his gaze, and found what he was peering at. Bending down, she retrieved the objects.

"Your mask," She said quietly, carefully cradling the pieces in her hands. She looked up at him with curious eyes, finding his own filled with intrigue; full of emotion that she'd never seen him as expressing that way before. "What are you going to do with it?" she asked him curiously.

Taro transferred the pieces to his hands with care, feeling the material and being reminded of ceramic. He stared, thoughtful at it as he became aware of the others making their ways over.

"Woo, you did it Chi!" Rumi practically tackled Chihiro in a hug. Taro let a laugh escape him, appreciating how good of a sensation it left in him. He had taken that feeling for granted before he became unable to do so in his other form. A presence in front of him turned his attention from the sight of his two friends twirling each other in exultation. He was met with the same jade eyes he regretfully used to hate.

"I owe you my thanks, Taro-san." Haku told him with a slight smile.

"For what?" Taro asked honestly, cocking an eyebrow in question.

"You gave your life for Chihiro. That deserves a great deal of thanks." Haku sank into a deep bow. "If any harm had come to her, I don't know what I'd do. I was wrong about you from the beginning."

Taro grimaced and scratched his head embarrassedly, much to Haku's surprise; one of the last things he'd ever expected to see was an earnest Taro.

"Yeah, well, at the time, you weren't too far off. I'd already made too many mistakes with her in that life…I was more of a monster back then than I was as Kaonashi…" Taro sighed, watching Rumi congratulate Chihiro, now with the mouse-formed Boh joining in, whizzing around their heads with Yu-Bird's help. "I wouldn't have lived with myself if I hadn't done something. Then in this life, all I wanted to do was make everything up to her. Even if I didn't have a clue what I'd done."

"Regret can be a strong feeling." Haku smiled reassuringly at his newfound friend, while setting a palm on his shoulder. "You know as well as I do that I know a thing or two about that particular emotion."

Taro grinned. So much had changed between them over the last five years, even if they really only hated each other the other day. Or yesterday…When exactly was it that he died in relation to the current time?

"Hey, Haku, how long ago did it happen, anyway? My dying, I mean." Taro asked nervously, but curiously. Haku only calculated for a moment.

"Four days tomorrow, I believe." Was his answer. "Today is Chihiro's birthday, if that's of any help."

"And only just earlier I saw you at the bath house. My, how quickly five years fly." Came a voice from beside them, suddenly. The two found, next to a silently observing Zeniba, Tenryu, who was smirking at them, looking Taro up and down. "You haven't changed a bit, and yet you've changed so much." Bright blue eyes shimmered above a white toothed smile.

"Oh, yeah I remember you. Still cryptic, as always, I see." Taro laughed, coming level with Tenryu, actually finding himself to be as tall as the River God.

"Of course I am! It's only been an hour or two since we first met!" Tenryu playfully waved a hand at Taro, while twirling a lock of his hair between his fingers with the other. Taro flashed a quizzical look at Haku, finding the younger spirit shaking his head in his hand a bit shamefully.

"He gives a terrible name to the River Gods…" Taro could have sworn he heard the younger boy mutter. He laughed along with Zeniba, who now took her turn in congratulating the former Kaonashi.

"Keitaro, what an exciting life you truly have, I always knew there was something more to you, my friend," the old spirit laughed while Boh and Yu-bird came out of nowhere to settle on her shoulder. "I still wonder, though, where did you learn to spin thread like that?" She asked him playfully. Taro blanched.

"I really don't know," he said dismissively before looking away, embarrassed that the conversation had come to this. Haku laughed despite himself, then felt Chihiro come up next to him, along with Rumi. The two of them seemed to be suppressing giggles of their own.

"Well, no matter, come, all of you; let's continue our visit inside, it seems we have much to catch up on!" Zeniba turned towards the door, inviting them along as Boh and his friend took off of her shoulder to make their own ways.

So it happened, they did catch up, mainly of Chihiro's stories of her life since visiting the world of spirits, but also a discussion of Taro's life as a lost soul; they were all curious, and Taro was glad to supply, glad to be able to be understood again. He was glad to be able to just sit around with friends and talk; another thing he had taken for granted when he had Chihiro and Rumi in the human world. Just talking and laughing with them made all five of the previous years as Kaonashi well worth while.

It had definitely put many things into perspective for him. Haku and Chihiro's love for one thing, had been explained to him in full, as he had been thrust into the middle of it five years before. He never thought he would have been grateful in death, nor because of his death, but here he was, nonetheless. It had changed him, and for the better. Now he could actually appreciate Chihiro for what she could provide to him; friendship. Not only did he have Chihiro for this, but he had all the people now in the living area with him, Zeniba especially. It was rather like having the sort of older, parental figure that he really wanted in life. She really was like a kind old grandmother.

Haku felt the sun begin to rise just outside, hours after they'd gone in to the little cottage, after long hours of talk and laughter. But one thing was still nagging at him, one thing about the spell's true effects on him. He glanced at Chihiro while she laughed with the others, thinking again on how he would love to spend his life with her, but wondering how it would work. Was he still human, though he'd regained all his river spirit attributes? Perhaps he could survive in both worlds with equal quality…All he knew was he wanted Chihiro by his side.

Though, as he knew the sun was rising, he also knew that time was running out if they wanted to return to the human world before the girls' families missed them.

"Chihiro, Rumi, I think we should take our leave, if we want to return before your parents find you missing," Haku said as he stood from his seat next to Chihiro. Immediately, Boh protested, squeaking frantically with a sad expression on his mouse face. Yu-bird twittered her own sentiments from the mouse's shoulder. Rumi gave them a little pet with her fingers, and the mouse and bird calmed down, though they were still sad to have the visit coming to an end.

"Alright," Chihiro said, albeit reluctantly, looking at Rumi. Rumi nodded hesitantly, before passing a sort of sad look to Tenryu, who threw the blonde a smile.

"I'll let all of you say goodbye, I need to ask Zeniba something, actually," Haku told the girls quietly as they came up to meet him. Zeniba flashed a knowing look in their direction as he said it, and he grinned at her seemingly telepathic mind. So as Taro and the other spirits met with the two human girls, Haku strode over to a knitting Zeniba, who glanced up at him with a wide and wrinkled grin.

"What is it you wanted to discuss, Haku, dear?" Zeniba asked politely. Haku sank into a bow before her, and looked back up with a smile.

"First of all, I want to thank you for giving me another chance with Chihiro. I know you used many hours to figure it out, and I am grateful for every one of them." Zeniba nodded. "However, I am curious, about…what exactly I am. Do I still remain human, even though my powers have returned?"

Zeniba chuckled at the sincere curiosity in the dragon's voice.

"I imagine, that this simply makes you a whole other species. You have both the aura of a human, and of your true river spirit. I do not know truly what it will mean for you, but I believe that this all became a new scenario in the instant your powers resurfaced as a human." Zeniba said, setting down her project and rising, dusting off her sapphire colored dress. "This really is a new chapter, not only in your life, but in the records of magic, especially this particular spell. But you are wondering if you will be able to spend this chapter with Chihiro without any drawbacks, am I correct?"

Haku looked at her with expectant jade eyes, and then nodded. The old witch laughed a little.

"Of course you will be able to. With this sort of mixed aura you give off, I believe that for you it is possible to live in either world naturally. I did after all give you a new entity." Haku's tension eased as a smile spread on his face.

"Thank you, Zeniba," he said, again sinking to a bow. He'd never felt better in all his life, except for maybe when he received his name from Chihiro.

"You are very much welcome, Haku." Zeniba nodded back to him. "Get going now, and be sure to take care of both of these fine girls," Zeniba led the dragon over to the gathering near the door. Turning to the girls, the witch gave them both a great hug at the same time. "Do come back for a visit, you three, don't be strangers. And Tenryu, you are more than welcome to stop by if things at my sister's bath house get boring on your visits!" she laughed, and the older of river spirits smiled.

"I'll be sure to, Zeniba," He then turned to Rumi, who looked apprehensive about the fact that the one way train wouldn't get them back to the bath house. "So, Koishii, ready for another ride? I promise I won't show off like our buddy Kohaku, here," Rumi still looked worried, but smiled shyly. Taro then turned to Zeniba.

"I'm going to go with Tenryu to see them off," He told the witch, who nodded in return.

"Just don't get too near the bath house, my sister is probably still mad," Zeniba warned playfully. Haku then remembered something.

"Taro, didn't you sign a contract with Yubaba?" he asked the young man curiously. Taro looked at Haku blankly before laughing again.

"Yeah, I suppose I did!" He said, scratching the back of his neck out of habit. "I don't suppose she'd want me anymore, though, since her place drives me insane…"

"Don't worry, we'll have a chat with my sister when you get back, Taro. I think I can convince her to let it go. Now, the lot of you, get going, the day is dawning!"

With that, she shooed them all out the door, and soon the two river gods were back into their snaking dragon forms, ready for boarding of the three passengers. On Tenryu, Rumi was already clutching at his grey horns and simultaneously burying her face into his pitch black mane, with Boh and Yu-bird riding on her shoulder. Taro had taken the spot just behind her, to ensure extra safety to the girl should she faint in mid flight again. Chihiro was, of course, in her rightful spot on Haku, and looking towards Zeniba.

"Thanks again, Granny! I promise I won't ever forget you again!" She called to the witch, who was standing just before her door, smiling broadly at all of them.

"Take care now, Chihiro, and do take care of that hair tie! Keep it near, and your friends will be near as well!" Zeniba waved a ringed hand at the group. Haku and Tenryu both stretched, just before taking off above the ground.

"I will, Granny!" Chihiro called over her shoulder with a broad smile. The two dragons snaked over Zeniba's modest farmland and over the gateway where the hanging lamp waved brightly at them. They didn't rise too high above their current level, if only for Rumi's sake, but the scenery they passed over was just as beautiful in the light of dawn as if they'd risen above the pink clouds.

The journey was a long one, even with the speed of Haku and Tenryu, and they reached the bridge of the bath house at about mid morning. Luckily, a quick stop in the bath house would not be necessary, as Rin was already standing in the entrance patio, waiting for them. As the two dragons set down on the broad, wooden expanse of the bridge, the sleep-deprived Rin woke out of her slump over the railing, and ran over to them.

"Where the heck have you three been!?" she asked, somewhat indignantly, as she came up beside the group, just as Haku and Tenryu changed back to their human forms. She caught sight of Tenryu and bowed, recalling him as being an honored guest of the bath house. "Yubaba told me you all went off on some escapade or something,"

"We were merely visiting a friend, and setting things back to their rightful order," Haku told her with a sigh. "I am sorry we didn't have enough time to catch up, Rin, but Rumi, Chihiro and I must get back to the human world."

"Ok, so who is this guy?" Rin said, motioning to Taro with a nod of her head. Haku grinned.

"I believe you know him better as 'Kaonashi.'" Haku and the others watched with smiles as Rin's eyes widened, scanning the former lost soul up and down.

"How's this kid Kaonashi?" she asked skeptically, raising an eyebrow at the group. Tenryu stepped forward.

"I'll be glad to explain everything to you once I return to the bath house, but these three do need to get a move on; time moves a little differently in their world, and they are already running late." He explained to her with a bow. Chihiro suddenly ran up to Rin and tackled the woman in a hug.

"Rin, say goodbye to Kamaji and Isao for me, ok?" She said, nuzzling into her sister's chest. Rin looked surprised at the girl before smiling, a little sad to see her young friend leave again.

"Just promise me you'll come back, ya dope," She laughed softly, too stubborn to let loose any sign of the sadness she was really feeling about seeing her human sister leaving again. "And bring your friend again, we haven't had nearly enough time to have girl talk!"

"I'll come whenever Chi does," Rumi promised as she came up to Rin, transferring Boh from her shoulder to her hands. "Make sure Boh finds his momma again, an old bat though she is,"

Rin gave a laugh at Rumi's jab at Yubaba, and took Boh in her own hands, allowing the fuzzy rat to give his own farewells to the girls in little mouse nuzzlings.

"Haku, you take care of Chihiro, or there will be Hell to pay, you hear me?" Rin told Haku fiercely. Haku grinned at the woman.

"As if I had any other plans for my life, Rin," He told her slyly. Rin nodded at him, and wrapped both Rumi and Chihiro in a hug strong enough to last a lifetime.

With their last, reluctant goodbyes, the group left Rin, Boh and Yu-bird at the patio of the bath house, to head down the path that would lead them to the vast field. Chihiro and Rumi both took in everything as they passed through the streets of seemingly abandoned cafés, committing everything to memory. Even Haku seemed to be enjoying the scenery for the first time.

When they reached the top of the stone stairs, the group of five stopped next to the frog statue, and looked out onto the grass of the hilly plain before them. Both Chihiro and Haku exchanged glances, both of them recalling the last time they had stood here together, with their hands clasped together as they were now. Haku's look was stained with a little guilt, remembering that decision he'd made at that point, the one he'd ended up regretting for years to come. Chihiro saw it as the place where she'd been promised of their second meeting, a promise that had come true, and brought her close to her guardian river god once more. Though she did sense Haku's look of regret, and decided to lean in for an unexpected kiss on his lips.

"No regrets, Haku." She told him certainly, her hazel eyes glittering in the day light. He looked at her for a second before smiling.

"Not anymore." Haku confirmed quietly, wrapping his arm around his love's waist.

They turned as a unit to the other three, finding Rumi in the middle of a hug with Tenryu. If Chihiro wasn't mistaken, either, she could see a pink blush along with a smile on the girl's face as she hugged his chest. She gave a glance with a raised eyebrow to Taro, who gave her a knowing look, obviously catching on to the same observations. Chihiro cleared her throat loudly, and the blissful look on Rumi's face was replaced with one of surprise, as she released Tenryu in a hurry. Her pink blush grew all the brighter. Chihiro grinned at her friend broadly; she would definitely be using this little development to her advantage later on. Tenryu threw her a wink, apparently reading her mind on the subject.

"Chihiro, I must say, this whole little adventure made my vacation all the more enjoyable, thank you," Tenryu said, coming before the girl and bowing. "It was a delight meeting all of you, really." He said with a broad smile. He suddenly made a face as though he remembered something. "Oh! And you should visit my river sometime, all three of you! Unless I'm on a vacation, I'll be quick to answer you!"

"Chihiro," Taro's voice came next, bringing Chihiro out of the conversation with Tenryu. She came over to him, leaving Haku and Rumi to their individual farewells to Tenryu. Taro smiled down at her. "I…want you to have this," he told her, seeming to pull something out of mid-air, something white and broad.

"Part of your mask?" She asked curiously, looking at the fragment.

"Yes, I guess it's sort of to remember me by, when you're in the human world." He smiled at her again. "Don't ever forget what you did for me, or what you do for others. You have some amazing powers, Chihiro, they may not be the same as Haku's, Zeniba's or mine, but you are a very amazing and powerful person. Just, keep this to let you remember what you can really do." He told her certainly, setting the piece of his mask into her hands. Chihiro stared blankly at it for a second, before smiling back up at him.

"Of course," she replied softly, before hugging it protectively to her. The strong arms of Taro embraced her once more, holding her closely to him

"Thank you again, Chihiro. You're a true friend, I'm glad I am finally seeing clearly enough to recognize that." He told her warmly, before pulling back from the hug to place a kiss on her forehead again.

Chihiro smiled at her once-boyfriend, who smiled back, with eyes that were still deep, but now with emotion. Taro then gave a nod to Haku, who took Chihiro by the waist before bidding their last farewells to the two spirits that would remain. With the last wave by Rumi to a grinning Tenryu, the trio of humans was now on their way back to the human world, descending the steps, and plotting across the rounded and moss-covered river rocks at the bottom.

After a distance over the grass, Haku decided now would be a good time to ensure they all remember the important events that had transpired, and paused, signaling to Rumi and Chihiro that the time had come to look back.

They could still see the top of the stairway from there, along with the distant figures of Tenryu and Taro, who waved as soon as they'd figured out that the trio had turned around. The three of them breathed deep as the wind seemed to bestow on them a reliving of all that had taken place, as if it were asserting the memories into them, to defy the spell on the gate. As Haku recalled all that had conspired, sort of as a catalyst to his decision to be a subject of that one spell, he embraced Chihiro to him from behind, setting his chin on her shoulder, taking in the scenery of the little town ahead of them with emerald eyes that had never held so much appreciation for the life he had, complicated though it was. He was lucky, in many senses of the word.

Love had been lost, for what he had feared would be forever. Then it was returned to him, though he had no clue at the time why or how it was there. And now, it was right there, in his arms again, and he'd never felt better.

He made a promise to himself, that he'd never let this love slip away from him again. And Haku was a river spirit of his word.

-Catgirl-of-Bavaria-: The end…sorta. On to the sequel! Rawr!

And with the ending of this chapter, I give mountains of thanks to each and every one of you who reviewed! I know I really sucked at doing replies, but I will try to be better once the sequel gets going. Despite my lack of replying, I read each and every one of your reviews, and they all made me very happy to know that my work is so loved! You guys have all been awesome, and I give you my thanks!

.:Bows:.


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